NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman reacts to the booing of the USA National Anthem | Breakfast Ball
Chris Kreider acknowledges 2014 Eastern Conference Final “controversy”
The New York Rangers and Montreal Canadiens squared off in Eastern Conference Final all the way back in 2014, but to this day there is a lot of bad blood between the people of Montreal and forward Chris Kreider. Over the weekend Kreider acknowledged an incident that many fans like to claim ended the career of Carey Price, someone who went on to win the Hart Trophy and Vezina Trophy the year after the event in question took place.
The incident was Kreider crashing into Carey Price on a breakaway, something that happened because defenseman Alexei Emelin slashed his stick into Kreider’s skate resulting in him tripping and losing his balance.
Price was knocked out the Eastern Conference Final with a knee injury, and the Blueshirts eventually eliminated Montreal in six games before losing to the Los Angeles Kings in the Stanley Cup Final.
Kreider acknowledged the “controversy” at a signing event on Sunday, and after adding his autorgraph he added “CLEARLY TRIPPED!” to the inscription as a way of officially addressing something that took place 11 years ago.
Montreal fans weren’t happy about this, and still maintain he ruined Price’s career. Even though Price would appear in 343 games after exiting the playoffs during which he posted a record of 182-124-35 with a .917 save percentage, a 2.49 goals against average, and the aforementioned Hart Trophy and Vezina Trophy which came in the very next season!
It is unfortunate that Price’s final season came at age 34, but he still had a 15-year career that spanned 712 games. Kreider didn’t mean to cause him any harm, and it is clear that Price was able to bounce back. That didn’t stop him from showing some aggression toward Kreider during a Rangers-Canadians game back in 2015, so maybe Price himself had some additional animosity toward the Blueshirts winger even though it wasn’t his fault.
•
Why Bo Groulx
ChatGPT said:
https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMTg4MzhiZDYtMmJiMy00ODcwLTlhMDgtYWEwOWJlOWM5NDc5XkEyXkFqcGc%40._V1_.jpg
https://files.eliteprospects.com/layout/players/20-kreider%2C-chris-%2854%29-ep.jpg
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/07/Gary_Bettman_in_2016_%28cropped%29_%28cropped%29.jpg
https://dims.apnews.com/dims4/default/c71ac81/2147483647/strip/true/crop/2907×1938%2B0%2B0/resize/599×399%21/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fstorage.googleapis.com%2Fafs-prod%2Fmedia%2Fa0e350ad485441dbb89b20a1a6fb0589%2F2907.jpeg
NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman addressed the booing of the U.S. national anthem by fans in Montreal during the 2025 4 Nations Face-Off. He emphasized the league’s commitment to fostering unity through hockey, stating, “Our goal is to create an environment where hockey brings people together.” Bettman acknowledged the initial boos but noted that after the arena made a public
NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman Reacts to Anthem Booing, Kreider Revisits Price Collision
Tensions surrounding U.S.-Canada hockey relations surfaced in an unexpected way during the 2025 4 Nations Face-Off, as fans in Montreal booed the U.S. national anthem before a game between Team USA and Finland. The incident drew attention from NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman, who issued a calm but firm response in the aftermath.
“Our goal is to create an environment where hockey brings people together,” Bettman said, addressing the backlash. He noted that the league has always respected the passion of Canadian fans but emphasized the importance of sportsmanship and mutual respect, especially during international events.
Following the booing, arena officials made a public announcement asking fans to respect both national anthems. According to Bettman, this did seem to calm the crowd somewhat, and the league considered the matter “unfortunate, but not defining.” Still, the emotional reaction from the Montreal crowd reignited old wounds that have yet to fully heal.
One of those wounds dates back to the 2014 Eastern Conference Final, when New York Rangers forward Chris Kreider collided with Montreal Canadiens goalie Carey Price during Game 1. The collision, which knocked Price out of the series with a knee injury, remains one of the most controversial moments in recent playoff memory.
Over the weekend, Kreider made headlines by finally addressing the incident more directly than ever before. At a signing event, after signing a fan’s memorabilia, he added the inscription “CLEARLY TRIPPED!”—a direct nod to the moment many Habs fans believe changed the trajectory of their team and possibly Price’s career.
To provide context, replays from 2014 clearly showed Canadiens defenseman Alexei Emelin slashing Kreider’s skate, causing him to trip and lose balance before crashing into Price. Nonetheless, conspiracy theories and accusations of intent have persisted for over a decade, particularly among Montreal fans.
Kreider’s tongue-in-cheek inscription sparked new outrage in Montreal, with fans flooding social media to decry his lack of remorse. Many still hold him responsible for “ending” Price’s career, even though Price would go on to win the Hart and Vezina Trophies the very next season and appear in 343 more NHL games before retiring at age 34.
Statistically, Price bounced back impressively after the injury, posting a .917 save percentage and a 2.49 goals against average during his post-2014 career. But his career trajectory was altered, and fans feel he was never quite the same after that collision, which might explain their lingering frustration with Kreider.
Interestingly, this wasn’t the first time Price showed some lingering resentment. In a 2015 regular season game, he appeared to take a swipe at Kreider with his stick after a whistle—an uncharacteristic moment of aggression from the usually composed netminder.
Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly also weighed in on the recent anthem controversy, noting that political tensions between the U.S. and Canada over the last decade, including trade spats and broader cultural divides, may be influencing crowd behavior. “We hope this isn’t a long-term trend,” he said, “and that respect for the game and each other remains central to how fans engage.”
Team USA’s response to the booing was mixed. Forward J.T. Miller said it may have fueled the team’s dominant 6–1 win over Finland. Captain Auston Matthews was more direct: “I didn’t like it, and that’s all I’ve got,” he said after the game. Head coach Mike Sullivan chose to stay focused on performance, adding, “We’re here to represent our country through the game of hockey, and that’s what we did tonight.”
Ultimately, both incidents—the renewed Kreider debate and the anthem booing—highlight the powerful emotions tied to hockey, especially between two rival nations with such rich histories. Whether rooted in patriotism or playoff memories, these moments continue to shape the sport’s narrative both on and off the ice.