Fist-fights, anthem boos in stormy US, Canada ice hockey clash [Video]

Three fights in the first nine seconds and a chorus of deafening boos for the US national anthem marked a stormy ice hockey clash between the United States and Canada in Montreal on Saturday.

An emotionally charged showdown between the star-studded line-ups of the North American rivals — which comes against a backdrop of political tension between the two neighboring countries — erupted into violence from the opening puck drop at Montreal’s Bell Centre.

The US squad clinched a spot in the 4 Nations Face-Off final Thursday at Boston with a 3-1 victory, but the result was almost a footnote to the mayhem that marked the start of a game played before a fiercely partisan Canadian crowd.

With Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in the crowd, home fans booed “The Star-Spangled Banner” before the game, catcalls that have become a regular feature at NHL and NBA games in Canada since …