My wife is Canadian. I met her on a press trip at the Delray Beach Marriott (now the Opal Grand). I have been to Canada at least 50 times and have always felt love for it and still do. But our polite northern neighbors have not felt the same about us thanks to terrible messaging from our president. Therefore, many Canadians, including my friends and family, have been protesting coming here, and the numbers do not lie. I really hope our president can change his tune so we live in a happier and much more prosperous world.
Recently, Buffalo Sabres fans helped change the cause inadvertently, when singer Cami Clune’s microphone cut out while she was singing the Canadian national anthem and the hometown fans jumped in to finish the job. It warmed my heart and brought tears to my wife’s eyes.
Thank you Buffalo and Sabres fans. Below is the video, and you really need to watch the video and read one of the tweets from a local Buffalo bar (both embedded below) that put into words what it meant for their community and our countries.
What you saw last night was not manufactured. It was not planned. It was not scripted.
It was an organic Buffalo moment.
We were in a local pub watching the game like everybody else, and when they cut the anthem short, the whole bar got quiet. Just like KeyBank Center got…
— Spirit of the 80s (@spirit_80s) April 30, 2026
“What you saw last night was not manufactured. It was not planned. It was not scripted.
It was an organic Buffalo moment.
We were in a local pub watching the game like everybody else, and when they cut the anthem short, the whole bar got quiet. Just like KeyBank Center got quiet.
Then slowly, you could hear it…
“Our home and native land…”
And then Sabres fans took over.
What was crazy is that we started singing it in the bar too. Then it got louder. Not because anyone told us to. Not because it was some big political statement. It just happened.
That is what people outside of here do not understand.
Western New York and the Golden Horseshoe grew up together. We are border people. We grew up watching Canadian TV, Mr. Dressup, The Hilarious House of Frightenstein, going across the bridge like it was nothing, partying in Canada, and Canadians coming over here after their bars closed.
We never really felt like strangers.
Something has changed over the years. The world got colder. The border started feeling bigger. People started acting like we are supposed to hate each other.
But last night, Buffalo showed the world who we really are.
We are the City of No Illusions.
A building full of Americans finished the Canadian national anthem without pause, without instructions, without a script.
Just respect.
Just instinct.
Just hockey.
Just neighbors.
That was real.
You will almost never see a moment like that again, and maybe we should learn something from it.
One team. Two nations. United by the game, the border, the memories, and the simple truth that we were never supposed to be enemies.
That was Buffalo.
And that was beautiful.”
Here are other comments that resonated with me.
@joshkulonger: This just gave me absolute chills. Buffalo is now my favorite city in America.
@DoomsdayPodcast: So many of my fellow Canadians are disillusioned and exhausted by our neighbors to the South, but this honestly, truly warms a person’s heart. This is what healing will look like.
@EasternPewee: Pure neighborly love!! Thank you!
@duffmontgo: We love you too! However, your president and his destructive actions against us cause us to respond accordingly. Again, we love you too, full stop🇨🇦
@BarbHel30: Canada is 5 minutes from us, we all know the Canadian national anthem. The Buffalo Sabres have always sung both anthems since we have a big Canadian fan base. Was proud to hear it last night. ❤️🇺🇸🇨🇦❤️
@tj0258_: The way to tell our neighbors we see them is to not vote for a piece of trash that starts a trade war with their country and says ridiculous stuff like they should be the 51st state.
