Buffalo Bills Celebrate Canadian Fans By Playing “O Canada” Before Home Opener

For their home opener, the Buffalo Bills had The Barenaked Ladies perform the Canadian national anthem, “O Canada,” which drew cheers from thousands of fans.

The Toronto-based band was invited to sing by the team, which has about 10,000 Canadian season ticket-holders.

Before the game, Kate Hussman, Buffalo Bills chief strategy officer, said in a statement that the team was “thrilled to be part of such a unique event and to celebrate the connection we share with Bills fans across southern Ontario. The passion and support we feel from Canadian fans is incredible, and we look forward to continuing to deepen those relationships and create memorable experiences together for years to come.”

This was one of the latest efforts from the Bills to celebrate their fans up north in advance of their home opener. This was the first regular-season game at the new Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park, New York.

 “The Canadian fan base for the Buffalo Bills has always been very important to them,” said Sal Capaccio, a sports talk host and reporter who follows the Bills.

“It’s a very important relationship, because Buffalo isn’t New York, it’s not Chicago, it’s not L.A. It’s a small market,” Capaccio added. “The further they can expand their footprint, going into southern Ontario, going into Toronto… that really matters to the Buffalo Bills. They’re a team that wants to make sure they have all their bases covered for people to be welcomed in.”

Before the home opener, the team posted a video on X where retired Bills quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick and retired wide receiver Stevie Johnson completed a few cross-border passes along the Niagara River.

The Ontario agency that manages the Canadian side of the river said in a news release that the successful boat-to-boat passes “will be aired during NFL on Prime’s broadcast of the Buffalo Bills’ first 2026 home game on Thursday, September 17.”

The week prior, the team on X posted that both “O Canada” and “The Star-Spangled Banner” would be performed before the home opener against the Detroit Lions and that the team “will celebrate the American and Canadian anthems during the pregame.”

This is a regular occurrence, as the Canadian national anthem is played before Buffalo Sabers games in the NHL, along with Bills games.