#ElbowsUp: Why have Canadians chosen hockey as the symbol of our national unity?

Faced with American tariffs and threats of annexation, Canadians have been using hockey as a way to express our discontent.

Canadian fans have booed The Star-Spangled Banner at NHL games, and Canadian singer Chantal Kreviazuk — performing O Canada before the Canada-U.S. final at the 4 Nations Face-Off on Feb. 20 — changed the lyric "in all of us command" to "that only us command" as a protest against American expansionism.

That 4 Nations final match became a kind of surrogate for the political conflict between our two countries.

The game was one of the most-watched in North American history and, when Canada won, the celebrations had a distinct nationalist edge.

Even then prime minister Justin Trudeau tweeted "You can't take our country — and you can't take our game."

It's perhaps no surprise, then, that ever since Canadian comedian Mike Myers mouthed the words "elbows up" at the camera during an appearance on Saturday Night Live, the reference to legendary hockey player Gordie Howe has become a national rallying cry.

#TheMoment 'Elbows Up' became a rally cry against Trump

In this moment of crisis, why is hockey our metaphor of choice for Canadian unity?

It's been called "Canada's game" and a "national religion," but hockey's popularity as both a pastime and a spectator sport has declined in recent years. Youth participation has dropped 33 per cent since 2010, and hockey viewership is shrinking, too.

When asked in 2022 how important they felt hockey is to our national identity, Canadians ranked it well below the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, our public health-care system and our education system.

Since the weakening of relations with our neighbour to the south, the importance of hockey to our collective imagination