Former Canucks anthem singer fires back at the club after being fired for his anti-mask support
Former Vancouver Canucks anthem singer Mark Donnelly has snapped back at his former employers, branding the organization's decision as censorship following what he believes is wrongful termination due to his participation in a public demonstration during an anti-mask event in the city on Saturday.
Donnelly stood in front of a large sign that read "No New Normal" and performed the Canadian national anthem in front of the hundreds of unmasked patrons at an event called "Christmas Freedom Rally" to condemn actions taken by BC's health officials to help slow the spread of the COVID-19 virus, which is in the midst of a terrible second wave. He also told those in attendance that he counts himself among those who disapprove of “draconian lockdown protocols.”
“What was originally sold as 15-day hunkering down sprint for the common good has turned into a 10-month marathon from hell, where the finish line is constantly being moved further into the distance,” said Donnelly.
“As someone known for singing our great national anthem, I'm standing up against what I feel is tyranny, plain and simple.”
Donnelly has been very clear that he believes that his firing is nothing more than an attempt to censor him, take away his voice and stifle his opinion. However, he should take into account that the organization that employed him is clearly promotes wearing a mask and social distancing to protect the vulnerable and to slow the spread of the virus so that business operations can return to the way they were prior to the arrival of COVID-19 in North America.
Perhaps Donnelly should have cleared the performance with his employer prior to agreeing to participate. In other words, sometimes you have to realize that the people that you represent may not necessarily approve of the way you're representing them, even if you're doing so unknowingly.
Donnelly has not had any direct contact with Canucks owner Francesco Aquilini before or since the event, and suggested that a phone call would have been a more appropriate method of reaching out to him to communicate his termination, rather than Aquilini's chosen approach of carrying put the deed on Twitter late Friday.
“Sports figures, entertainers, politicians, et cetera, can stand for anything as long as it supports the narrative. You can support rioting, looting, destructions of livelihoods and reputation, but take a position against the narrative and you are worthy of exile or worse.”
The early stages of this one indicate that it could end up being a very messy break-up.
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YESTERDAY
JUNE 6, 2026
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| G | A | PTS | ||
| Mitch Marner | 3 | 1 | 4 | |
| Tomas Hertl | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Jordan Staal | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Shea Theodore | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Sebastian Aho | - | 2 | 2 | |
| Brayden McNabb | - | 2 | 2 | |
| Taylor Hall | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Jordan Martinook | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Andrei Svechnikov | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Jackson Blake | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Jack Eichel | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Brett Howden | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Seth Jarvis | - | 1 | 1 | |
| William Karlsson | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Eric Robinson | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Jaccob Slavin | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Logan Stankoven | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Frederik Andersen | - | - | - | |
| Rasmus Andersson | - | - | - | |
| Ivan Barbashev | - | - | - | |
| COMPLETE STATS | ||||