A sold-out Buffalo Sabres crowd stepped in and sang O Canada after a microphone malfunction during the national anthems ahead of Game 5 of the Sabres’ NHL playoff series against the Boston Bruins on Tuesday.
The viral moment came a few seconds into Buffalo-native singer and songwriter Cami Clune’s rendition of O Canada, when her microphone suddenly cut out. The Sabres crowd quickly took over, singing the rest of the anthem as Clune’s mic intermittently cut in and out.
She then returned with a new mic to sing The Star-Spangled Banner before puck drop.
Unlike all other U.S. NHL teams, Buffalo always plays both the Canadian and American anthems prior to home games, regardless of opponent, mainly due to the city’s close proximity to New York’s border with Canada.
Sabres home games are typically well-attended by Canadian fans, particularly when the nearby Toronto Maple Leafs are in town. But there are also plenty of Sabres fans throughout Ontario’s Niagara region, near Buffalo, who are enjoying the team’s first postseason appearance since 2011.
Tuesday’s show of cross-border solidarity stands out compared to some recent controversial national anthem incidents that came amid political tensions between Ottawa and Washington following comments by U.S. President Donald Trump about making Canada the 51st state.
During last year’s 4 Nations Face-Off, Canadian and U.S. fans each booed during the opposing national anthems ahead of highly anticipated games between the two countries in Montreal and Boston.
After Tuesday’s game, which the Bruins won in overtime to send the series back to Boston for Game 6, Clune thanked fans for their impromptu vocal support.
Well that was interesting!! Thank you all for singing along with me🥹🇨🇦We have the best fans ever!❤️ #gosabres #letsgobuffalo
— Cami Clune (@camiclune) April 29, 2026
“We have the best fans ever,” she wrote on X.
Despite the loss, the Sabres still lead the best-of-seven first round series 3-2, and can advance to the second round of the postseason for the first time since 2007 with a win on Friday.
With files from The Canadian Press
