Performances
"O Canada" is routinely played before sporting events involving Canadian teams. Singers at such public events often mix the English and French lyrics to represent Canada's linguistic duality. Other linguistic variations have also been performed: During the opening ceremonies of the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary, "O Canada" was sung in the southern Tutchone language by Yukon native Daniel Tlen. At a National Hockey League (NHL) game in Calgary in February 2007, young Cree singer Akina Shirt became the first person ever to perform "O Canada" in the Cree language at such an event.
The NHL requires arenas to perform both the Canadian and American national anthems at games that involve teams from both countries. One American team, the Buffalo Sabres, goes a step further and performs both anthems before every game as a nod to Buffalo's location near the Canadian border and the team's substantial number of Canadian fans. Major League Baseball teams have also played the song at games involving the Toronto Blue Jays, the former Montreal Expos, and at the beginning of the All-Star Game.
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