Prime Minister Mark Carney was in the crowd at Rogers Place in Edmonton on Tuesday night for the Oilers' home opener against the Vancouver Canucks, and a moment from the game has followed him back east.
During an in-game tribute recognizing a Canadian Army veteran, footage circulating online appears to show Carney remaining seated while people around him stood to applaud. The clip was shared by Ottawa-based Instagram account @613trending, which credited the original footage to isaacflaman. As @613trending put it, the video "appears to show Carney remaining seated while others around him stood."
What's known so far
As of Wednesday, the Prime Minister's Office had not issued a public statement addressing the video, and it isn't clear from the footage alone whether there's context, such as an injury, a scheduling issue, or simply the angle of the camera, that isn't visible in the clip. Rogers Place regularly recognizes veterans and service members during Oilers home games as part of its usual in-arena programming.
More coverage can be expected as the video continues to circulate and if the PMO responds. For now, the moment is being judged largely on a few seconds of second-hand footage rather than any official confirmation of what happened in the arena.
Source: Instagram video shared by @613trending, originally captured by isaacflaman.
