‘You know as Canadian we have a reputation for politeness… but it is a grave mistake to see that politeness as weakness,’ David Eby said in a video explaining “Elbows Up”
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Canadians here and abroad are showing their “Elbows Up” in an ongoing outpouring of national defiance in the face of threats coming from the Donald Trump administration.
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Here’s what we know about this hockey-inspired movement.
Why are Canadians saying ‘elbows up’?
A group of Canadian retirees in Portugal showed their elbows up sentiment in a photo of a recent meet-and-greet that was emailed to the National Post on Thursday. More than 120 people from B.C. to Newfoundland showed up to express their national pride, writes Chris Coates in the email.
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It took on new meaning with Trump “and his constant demeaning of our country and outrageous behaviour towards arguably their closest ally,” writes Coates, owner of the Coates Agency, a computer consultancy in Calabogie, Ont. “The national anthem broke out, and once finished, someone yelled, ‘Elbows Up.’ The crowd went crazy.”
Also this week, an “Elbows Up” TikTok video by a Nova Scotia woman was featured during the late night monologue on the “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” show last Thursday.
“The original video I took was just in our (liquor) stores about how the Canadians were taking American alcohol off the shelf,” Yarmouth resident Keltie Bain told CTV. The video has garnered more than 40K views. “So the video was just scanning some of the empty shelves.”
Bain thought Kimmel “was quite funny. He was saying how the Canadians, every time they took a bottle off had to say, ‘I’m sorry, I’m sorry.’” As Kimmel spoke, Bain’s video played with the banner “Elbows Up” and a Canadian flag logo flashing across the screen.
Where does the “Elbows Up” phrase come from?
The phrase originates with Canadian hockey legend Gordie Howe, known as “Mr. Hockey.” He was a professional hockey player from 1946 to 1980, playing 26 seasons in the National Hockey League and six seasons in the now defunct World Hockey Association — most of that time for the Detroit Red Wings.
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He was renowned for his defensive tactics, especially raising his elbows while rushing into the corners to retrieve the puck and deter aggressive opponents.
In a recent post on X, British Columbia Premier David Eby posted a video on X explaining “Elbows Up” in the B.C. legislature.
“For those of you who are not hockey fans, Elbows Up means the other team is trying to take advantage. And if they come at you, they’re going to feel it. You know as Canadian we have a reputation for politeness. We’re polite, sometimes to a fault, but it is a grave mistake to see that politeness as weakness. We will always be the True North, Strong and Free with our elbows up, Honourable Speaker.”
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How did Canadian comedian Mike Meyers revive this hockey phrase?
The rallying cry caught on in popular culture when Canadian comedian Mike Myers made a surprise guest appearance on a recent edition of “Saturday Night Live.” He was featured in a skit mimicking the confrontation that Trump and JD Vance had with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
During the traditional show closing, when the entire cast for the evening gathers on stage as the theme music plays, Myers appears up front. He is wearing a puffy winter vest and a “Canada is not for sale” T-shirt underneath. He opens the vest to show the full slogan. Then, looking directly at the camera, he mouths the words “Elbows Up” while raising his left elbow and pointing to it. The moment was captured in several videos posted to X, such as this one from Canadian woman, @heathrowbaker.
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How have Canadians been using this slogan?
During recent protests across the country, including one on March 4 outside the U.S. embassy in Ottawa, hundreds of Canadians showed up to protest the 25 per cent tariffs levied on Canadian exports into America. Canadians chanted “Elbows Up” and inscribed their placards with it.
The following day Canadians rallied on Parliament Hill to prominently display their “Elbows Up” spirit and voice their frustration with the Trump administration, the tariffs and repeated comments about Canada as the “51st state.” Meanwhile, #ElbowsUp has made a plethora of appearances in social media.
How did Trudeau use this phrase during his farewell speech?
The phrase made it into mainstream politics via Prime Minister Justin Trudeau during his farewell speech to Liberals party members in Ottawa last Sunday.
“Crisis after crisis has been thrown at Canadians, but through every crisis, Canadians have shown who they are. We’ve pulled together. We’ve stood up for each other,” he said.
“And every single time, we’ve emerged even stronger. And now, as Canadians face, from our neighbour, an existential challenge, an economic crisis, Canadians are showing exactly what we are made of….We’re a country that will be diplomatic when we can, but fight when we must. Elbows Up!”
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The crowd roared in response.
Then, Trudeau drove the point home in a short video posted on X, Thursday, his last message to the Canadian people as prime minister. Trudeau spoke about being “boldly and unapologetically Canadian. My only ask is that no matter what the world throws at us, you always be the same.”
What are some other ways Canadians are expressing their anger towards Trump administration?
Aside from political expression of “Elbows Up,” Canadians have shown this sentiment in their showing as they shop, in boycotting American products and supporting local businesses.
It has also been evident in cultural expressions such as B.C. coffee company, Kicking Horse Coffee, urging cafés across the country to abandon “Americano” and call it a “Canadiano” instead. Toronto pizzeria owner, Gram Palmateer made headlines in Canada and abroad for his boycott of American ingredients, a move followed by a few bars in the Ontario capital city.
“Elbows Up” themed merchandise, such as T-shirts and hats, have begun to proliferate on online shopping sites such as Etsy.
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Perhaps the most Canadian of expressions of elbows up is booing the American anthem during professional hockey and basketball games, the most famous to date being the 4-Nations final between Canada and the U.S. The booing during that game began when a member of the Royal Canadian Air Force Band started singing and lasted the entire song. After weeks of booing, some games have seen Canadian fans drowning out the U.S. anthem by singing “O Canada.“
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