Canadians are using ‘elbows up’ to diss Americans. What it means

• Canadians are using the phrase “Elbows up” to encourage each other to stand up to the United States.
• The phrase originates from hockey legend Gordie Howe, known for his toughness and use of elbows on the ice.

Tariffs on Canadian exports and repeated insults by President Donald Trump about Canada becoming the 51st state have Canadians pushing back with a term hockey fans may be familiar with.

“Elbows up” is appearing across social media platforms and in protests, encouraging Canadians to stand up and fight back, creating a sense of nationalism for Michigan’s closest neighbors.

Canadian celebrities are also pushing back including comedian Mike Myers, as he returned to “Saturday Night Live,” impersonating Tesla CEO and Trump adviser Elon Musk as Dr Evil from the Austin Powers franchise.

Sporting a “Canada is not for sale” T-shirt, he pointed to his elbows and mouthed the phrase as the end credits flashed across the screen.

Canadian phrase comes from Detroit hockey player

The phrase is linked to Gordie Howe, a longtime Detroit Red Wings player who was born in Saskatchewan, a province in western Canada.

Howe, who is synonymous with the Red Wings, was known for his toughness, among other things. He used his elbows to defend himself when opposing players crowded him.

Mr. Hockey played for Detroit from 1946 to 1971 and led the Red Wings to Stanley Cup championships in 1950, 1952, 1954 and 1955.

Kirk Maltby, a former player and also a team scout, said this about Howe in a 2016 article in the Free Press: “You’d want to be within an ear’s length so you could hear him, but at the same time, you didn’t want to be right next to him because he’d get his fists and his elbows up. He’d get so animated.”

What Canadians told the Free Press

It’s the Canadians who are getting animated now.

Canadians who spoke with the Free Press on Sunday expressed mixed emotions when asked about future relationships with the U.S.

“It feels like a betrayal,” said Ainslee Winter, as she and Jessica Filippakis pushed strollers inside Devonshire Mall, each with a child in tow.

Winter said she expects things to get worse before they get better, but she hopes “it makes people realize they need each other.”

Jalen Williams is a trending reporter at the Detroit Free Press. Contact him at jawilliams1@freepress.com.

Detroit Free Press contributed reporting.

This story was updated to add a video and gallery.