bilingual O – Mason Greer, the student who sang a bilingual version of “O Canada” in North Carolina ahead of the Hurricanes-Canadiens playoff game on Thursday, says he’s surprised by the flood of positive comments he’s received, including messages in French.
Raleigh lit up at the start of Thursday’s Hurricanes-Canadiens NHL playoff game, and Mason Greer could feel it immediately.
The 24-year-old student. known for performing “O Canada” at the Hurricanes’ home games. chose to sing a bilingual version of the anthem in both official languages instead of the English-only version that’s usually heard outside Montreal and Ottawa games. He says he was expecting a big moment for the teams. but not an atmosphere like the one he felt at PNC Arena when he opened the night.
Greer told The Canadian Press that he’s been surprised and honoured by the praise he’s getting since he made that choice. His name has been trending on social media, and he’s received a flood of positive comments for including French.
Some of the messages are in French, and Greer says he replies with a thank-you because he can’t speak the language. The interaction, simple as it is, became part of what’s unfolding online: people noticing, reacting, and then continuing the conversation after the anthem ends.
Greer has more than 10 years of experience singing national anthems in sports stadiums. He has been singing “O Canada” at the Hurricanes’ home games since 2018, and he’s built a habit of performing a bilingual version when the Ottawa Senators and the Montreal Canadiens come to play.
Thursday’s game, though, brought something he hadn’t experienced before—an immediate wave of attention around his performance and the choice to bring both languages into a moment most fans are accustomed to hearing in English.
Mason Greer Hurricanes Canadiens O Canada bilingual anthem NHL playoffs Raleigh social media French language