Buffalo Bills to Play Canadian National Anthem at Home Opener

Buffalo, New York, is called “The City of Good Neighbors.” That apparently extends internationally.

The Buffalo Bills will have the “Star-Spangled Banner” as well as the Canadian national anthem kick off the team’s season opener.

The new addition comes as the U.S. and Canada experience ongoing tensions.

The team announced Wednesday that the Toronto-based musical act Barenaked Ladies will perform "O Canada" before the Bills' game against the Detroit Lions Sept. 17.

Hawaiian-born actress and singer Auli'i Cravalho will perform the "Star-Spangled Banner."

The game will be the first regular-season game at the Bills' new $2.1 billion Highmark Stadium. OneRepublic will perform during halftime.

The Bills continue to seeking to build its fanbase across southern Ontario and Toronto, the nation's largest metropolitan center, located about a two-hour drive from Buffalo.

Former owner Ralph Wilson once hosted an annual Canadian fan appreciation game, which was scheduled near Canadian Thanksgiving. It falls on the second Monday of October.

The NHL's Buffalo Sabres have had both the Canadian and American anthems performed before each game regardless of the opponent no matter the opponent in a tradition that began in 1970.

The Bills and Sabres are now both owned by Terry Pegula.