After the U.S. men’s hockey team beat Canada for the gold medal at the Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina on February 22, 2026, Tate McRae has found herself at the unexpected center of a national backlash.
Born in Calgary, Alberta, the Canadian singer-songwriter has been at the core of fan fury for what her fellow Canadians are viewing as favoring Team USA over Team Canada. Now some fans are even blocking the musical artist online and others are calling for her to be boycotted.
Here’s what fans are saying about McRae and why some believe her recent activity has made her pro-Team USA over Canada after the two countries squared off in a historic hockey matchup.
Tate McRae and Jack Hughes Might Be Romantically Linked
GettyJack Hughes #86 and Quinn Hughes #43 of Team United States celebrate winning the gold medals after the team’s 2-1 overtime victory in the Men’s Gold Medal match between Canada and the United States on day 16 of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic games at Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena on February 22, 2026 in Milan, Italy.
As many fans see it, Tate McRae’s role in supporting Team USA over her native Canada at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina is two-fold. The first part of her support for the American team which proved to be victorious over Team Canada in the final medal event of the Olympic Games is that she has been romantically linked to the very player from the U.S. who scored the game-winning goal, Jack Hughes.
Having been seen cozied up together in New York City in November 2025, the pair haven’t denied being in a relationship. The silence from both camps has led many fans to believe that there is an ongoing spark between the two, and fans now think that a romance could place McRae’s own fandom with Team USA.
Fans React to McRae’s Olympics Appearance on Social Media
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On her Instagram account, Tate McRae posted a promotional video for NBC’s official broadcast coverage of the Olympics and Paralympics in Milan-Cortina for American audiences that has since drawn jokes and facetious ire from fans, especially those from her home country of Canada. While most fans speaking to the singer being a fan of Team USA over Team Canada are doing so in jest or out of disappointment over Canada losing the Olympic gold medal, some fans have been harsh with their words towards McRae online.
Comments on the video include user @natashbyy saying “girl you’re canadian pls what is this” and user @serenasned commenting “Girl, we are Canadian, we do NOT cheer for team USA at winter sports, especially during times like these!!!” while some Canadian fans say that no amount of money could ever make them go against Team Canada.
On the other side of the coin, some users have been more intense in their scrutiny of Canadian-born McRae doing an advertisement for an American broadcast network and have shared screenshots of themselves blocking the artist and calling for other Canadians to do the same.
Hopefully the tension will fizzle out soon and everyone can get back to enjoying good sports and good music from both sides of the USA-Canadian border.
Fans Are Calling to Boycott Tate McRae After USA Wins Gold. Here’s Why.