WASHINGTON — Mitch Nelson is a longtime hockey fan, which is just one of the reasons he cares about the way his president has been trash-talking Canada.

He is a fan of Wayne Gretzky, which is common enough for an American. He also hopes to add the 1979 disco album featuring Montreal Canadiens legend Guy Lafleur to his vinyl collection, which is less so. For international events like the Olympics and the 4 Nations Face-Off, Nelson would normally root for the United States. Then he saw President Donald Trump trying to motivate the home team by, once again, calling Canada the future 51st state.

That was when Nelson, 25, chose a new outfit. He showed up at Rocket Bar, a crowded basement pool hall on 7th St. NW, near the Capital One Arena, wearing a vintage Team Canada jersey plus an Edmonton Oilers jersey (a Connor McDavid one) tied around his neck.

“Why are you saying these things? That’s our best friend,” said Nelson, who grew up in northern Virginia and moved to Washington, D.C., four months ago for a job as a government contractor at NASA. “Imagine your next door neighbour, telling them: ‘We could own your house.’ It’s hard. I don’t root for that.”

The 4 Nations Face-Off, an international tournament showcasing the best NHL players from Canada, Finland, Sweden and the U.S., arrived at a time when Trump has been repeatedly talking about annexing Canada, referring to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as a governor and moving to bring in steep tariffs on all Canadian goods, which could damage both economies. 

Tensions have been high. Players fought three times in the first nine seconds of the first Canada vs. U.S. game in Montreal on Saturday, which the Americans won 3-1. Fans at the Bell Centre booed throughout the “Star-Spangled Banner.” At the championship game Thursday in Boston, which Canada won 3-2 with an overtime goal from McDavid, Canadian singer Chantal Kreviazuk changed the lyrics of Canada’s national anthem from “in all of us command” to “that only us command.” She told The Associated Press: “I believe in democracy, and a sovereign nation should not have to be defending itself against tyranny and fascism.” Like the famous 1972 Summit Series against Russia, the on-ice rivalry had a bitter edge.

Jackson Barber, 25, who is studying for a graduate degree in international relations at Johns Hopkins University, and Sydney Morson, 25, a nurse, were watching the game while seated at the bar, near where a small group had chanted “U-S-A! U-S-A! U-S-A!” when the Americans scored their second goal and regained the lead. They said they think the talk of making Canada the 51st state is a joke and a distraction, but also something Canada should take seriously.

“It is kind of scary, because I feel like he could get away with some of the stuff that he’s saying, and he already has,” said Morson, who was cheering for the Americans but thought it might be nice for Canada to win. Barber sounded a common refrain about how to deal with Trump: take him seriously, but not literally. “He’s not literally going to annex Canada, but it’s part of a thing to subjugate Canada and whatever—make the U.S. more powerful.”

Maddie Wray, 22, had not planned to watch a hockey game when she met up with friends during what has been a tense time for people in this city. There are about 2.4 million people who work for the U.S. federal government and 20 per cent of them live in the District of Columbia. The Trump administration’s indiscriminate layoffs of federal employees are top of mind. “People are wondering what’s going to happen next—to their friends, to their family, to their colleagues—and it’s scary on either side of the political aisle,” said Wray. Coming out to a bar is a way to get their minds off things. “I was talking to a friend today, and we likened it to the violins playing on the floor of the Titanic as it sank. It’s a very strange feeling, being in this city at this time.”

The recent graduate from Duke University, who is now working in communications, has been following the news about Canada and knew the premiers were in town last week to make the case against tariffs. “I think it’s a little intimidating to see someone coming around saying that we’re going to take over another country,” said Wray, later adding: “I know it’s just a sports game, but it has a little bit more connotation when you think about it like that.”

Jeremy Edwards, who seemed as deeply invested in a conversation with friends about shifting geopolitics as he did in watching the action on screen, was annoyed the game had become something more. “I want to be able to enjoy old-fashioned U.S.A.-Canada hockey,” he said, “where I can root for the destruction of Canada without any political implications, period.”