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Elbows Up [1]
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Date: 2025-04-09
“Canada is not for sale.” The words were silent, mouthed rather than spoken, but they thundered across North America. It was March 2025, and Mike Myers was standing on the Saturday Night Live stage in a T-shirt emblazoned with the same message, tapping his elbow twice during the closing credits. In the face of mounting pressure from Washington—tariffs, trade threats, and even a half-serious annexation jab from Donald Trump—Myers’ gesture wasn’t just a nod to Gordie Howe. It was a warning shot. And it struck a nerve.
What began as a gritty move on the ice—a sharp, upward elbow to ward off cheap shots—has become a national metaphor. “Elbows Up” is now more than a hockey expression. It’s a political stance, a cultural movement, and a rallying cry for a country that, for once, isn’t politely backing down.
Gordie Howe earned the nickname “Mr. Hockey,” but before that, he was “Mr. Elbows.” Born in the prairie town of Floral, Saskatchewan, Howe embodied a kind of cold, calculated Canadian toughness. On the ice, he was feared—not for his fists, but for the scientific precision of his elbows. “If a guy slashed me,” Howe once said, “I’d grab his stick, pull him up alongside me and elbow him in the head.” It wasn’t bravado; it was protocol.
“It’s an elbow that goes from the waist and comes up. It’s pretty scientific.” —Marty Howe
Howe’s elbow became legend, a symbol of assertive defense in a game that prized speed and aggression. And if you crossed Gordie? “It was only a matter of time before he hurt you,” said goalie Curtis Joseph. Howe didn’t retaliate out of rage—he retaliated to reestablish order.
Now, Canadians are channeling that energy not on skates, but in the streets.
The pivot from hockey tactic to national resistance started in early 2025, when tensions with the U.S. escalated. Threats of punitive tariffs. Offhand comments from Trump about making Canada the “51st state.” The mood shifted. Politeness gave way to quiet fury.
Enter Peter Wall. A former CBC journalist, Wall was jolted awake at 4 a.m. with a clear thought: “Elbows up, Canada.” He recorded a voice memo, pitched the idea to friends, and by the end of the week, they had 30 volunteers, a logo, and a permit for Parliament Hill. Their first rally drew 1,500 people in freezing temperatures.
It wasn’t a protest in the traditional sense. There were no angry chants, no confrontations with police. Instead, there were hockey sticks checked at the door, maple leaf face paint, and a spontaneous shinny game on the lawn.
One woman brought her grandfather’s stick from the 1972 Summit Series. Another held a sign reading: “True North Strong and Peeved.” There was pride, humor, defiance—and above all, unity.
Mike Myers gave the phrase lift-off. In two separate SNL appearances, he tapped his elbow, wore shirts reading “Canada Is Not for Sale” and “Canadian Tire,” and reignited patriotism with a smirk. Then came the real punch: a campaign ad with new Prime Minister Mark Carney in which Myers asked, “Will there always be a Canada?” and Carney replied, “Elbows up.”
“Will there always be a Canada?” —Mike Myers
“Elbows up.” —PM Mark Carney
From there, the phrase vaulted into political discourse. Outgoing Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, once careful to avoid jingoism, ended his farewell address by declaring, “We’re a country that will be diplomatic when we can—but fight when we must: Elbows up!” The crowd roared, chanting the phrase like it was part of the anthem.
British Columbia Premier David Eby explained it best: “‘Elbows up’ means the other team is trying to take advantage, and if they come at you, they’re going to feel it.”
It’s hard to overstate how quickly the movement has grown. Rallies in Toronto, Halifax, and Vancouver have drawn thousands. Social media feeds are flooded with elbow memes, hockey references, and slogans like “From Gordie’s Elbows to Our Resistance—Back Off, Eh!”
“You can’t threaten a country that turns geopolitical crises into dad jokes.” —Mayor Mark Sutcliffe
Even the aesthetics have taken hold: red-and-white shirts, retro skates, elbow pads, and of course, sticks. One viral TikTok clip showed a ten-year-old girl in a “Future 51st Governor” jersey—“51st” crossed out—scoring a beauty goal during a post-rally hockey game.
The protests feel Canadian in every way: polite, cheeky, and resilient. They’re not about aggression. They’re about self-respect.
The symbolism runs deep. “Elbows Up” isn’t just about trade or Trump. It’s about sovereignty. It’s about identity. It’s about a nation that too often sees itself through the lens of politeness and compromise, finally finding its edge.
At a rally, organizer Samantha McBeth pointed to the scaffolding on Parliament’s Peace Tower and said, “Canada’s a work in progress, like you can see right here. But that doesn’t mean we’re not proud to be Canadian.” That line echoed through social media for days—proof that people are hungry for both realism and resolve.
“Canada’s a work in progress… but that doesn’t mean we’re not proud to be Canadian.” —Samantha McBeth
Former Foreign Minister Lloyd Axworthy didn’t hold back. “We’ve had over 150 years of thinking of our neighbor as big and powerful, but also not an adversary. Well, that has now changed,” he warned. “Mr. Trump has put himself in the ranks of the authoritarians.”
Twice, he was interrupted by chants of “Elbows up!”
It’s tempting to dismiss the movement as symbolic—just words and gestures. But in Canada, symbolism matters. Hockey has always been more than a sport here. It’s mythology. Gordie Howe’s elbow was never about violence for its own sake; it was about drawing a line. If you were coming for him, you’d better be ready to pay the price.
The same logic now applies to Canada as a whole.
“Do unto others before they do unto you.” —Gordie Howe
As the next round of U.S.–Canada negotiations looms and a snap election approaches, “Elbows Up” isn’t fading. It’s evolving—from protest to posture, from slogan to principle. It’s a way of saying: We’ll play fair. But we won’t be pushed.
In the end, this is about more than hockey. It’s about holding the line—politically, culturally, economically. And maybe the most Canadian thing about it is that it started not with a fist, but with an elbow.
Tough. Tactical. Unmistakable..
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