A league spokesman said yesterday that the booing of the
U.S. national anthem at an National Hockey League game in
Montreal on Thursday night, as a protest against the U.S.
war with Iraq, was disappointing but an isolated event.
"We don't expect it's going to turn into a league-wide
issue," said Gary Meagher, the NHL's vice-president of public relations
and media services. "We're working with the Canadiens today (yesterday),
working through some things to try and deal with the
situation. It certainly is an isolated one at this point."
The U.S. anthem was greeted with cheers at hockey games
in Vancouver and Calgary Thursday and at the Toronto Raptors'
National Basketball Association game Wednesday.
Pierre Boivin, president of the Canadiens, issued a statement expressing
his "deep regret" over the conduct of some fans prior
to the game against the Islanders.
"It is our firm belief that this kind of behaviour
has no place in the context of professional sports," Boivin
said.
"We apologize to anyone who may have been offended by
this incident, and would encourage all fans at the Bell
Centre to conduct themselves in a manner worthy of our
game and our two great nations."
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