In an ice hockey grudge match of border rivals fueled by political tensions, "51st state" Canada defeated the United States 3-2 in overtime on Thursday to win the Four Nations Face-Off final.
Canada's Connor McDavid scored the title-winning goal off a pass from Mitch Marner to deliver Canada the victory after enduring political barbs from U.S. President Donald Trump about being the "51st state."
"You can't take our country -- and you can't take our game," outgoing Canada Prime Minister Justin Trudeau -- dubbed "Governor Trudeau" by Trump -- posted on X moments after the triumph.
The victory came in the hard-hitting rematch of a bruising round-robin clash Saturday between NHL stars that produced three fights in nine seconds in a 3-1 U.S. triumph -- but Canada won when it mattered most.
"Just to see the reaction, knowing what it means to us," McDavid, named the player of the game, said when asked the best part about the win. "It's not an Olympic gold medal but it means the world to our group. Everybody battled so hard. It was special. It wasn't necessarily the prettiest but we found a way."
In the fight for bragging rights ahead of next year's Winter Olympics in Italy, Canada goaltender Jordan Binnington made several great saves early in overtime and 33 in all.
The tone for a gripping contest was set when microphone-wearing referee Gord Dwyer said, "Let's get ready for an epic battle," just before dropping the puck to start the game, which went off without any brawling.
A sellout crowd at Boston's TD Garden produced an electric atmosphere for one of the most hotly anticipated hockey games for years, an emotionally charged spectacle intensified by recent political sparring between the two North American neighbors.
"Intense," U.S. winger Matthew Tkacuk said of the buzz. "This feeling is unbelievable. As big a game as I've ever played in in my life."
U.S. leader Trump ratcheted up the anticipation in a pre-game call to the American squad and social media remarks repeating his desire for Canada to become the USA's "51st state."
Political fireworks began last Saturday in a 3-1 U.S. round-robin victory over Canada at Montreal, where Canadian supporters booed the U.S. national anthem after Trump's threat to impose tariffs on Canadian goods.
By comparison, there were only a smattering of boos in Boston for the start of the Canadian anthem.
When the game in Montreal began, there were three fist-fights in the first nine seconds, a sign the political grudges were spilling onto the ice, but there was no repeat of the mayhem in the final.
"We already made that statement," U.S. center J.T. Miller told telecaster ESPN. "There's no time for that."
No U.S. team has taken a best-on-best crown since the 1996 World Cup while Canada has reached all nine finals of such events and won seven titles.
Canada's Nathan MacKinnon opened the scoring 4:48 into the first period. He blasted a shot through a maze of U.S. players in front of the net and over the left shoulder of U.S. goaltender Connor Hellebuyck.
He scored four goals to lead the tournament to earn Face-Off Most Valuable Player honors.
Brady Tkachuk netted the equalizer for the USA with 3:08 remaining in the first period, chipping a pass from U.S. captain Auston Matthews past Binnington for his third tally of the tournament.
Jake Sanderson, a 22-year-old defenseman added as an injury replacement just before the tournament began, gave the Americans their first lead 7:31 into the second period, firing the puck through traffic in front of Binnington for a 2-1 US advantage.
"I was shaking I was so fired up," Sanderson said of finding out he was on the team. "It's a blessing to be here with these guys."
Sam Bennett lifted Canada level with 6:00 remaining in the second period, taking a pass from Mitch Marner and firing the puck over Hellebuyck and just under the crossbar, setting the stage for a scoreless third period and overtime.
© 2025 AFP
29 Comments
Login to comment
JeffLee
We kicked Yankee butt!!! The timing could not have been better.
Amber
Well done Canada!
MilesTeg
I thought it was a mistake to start Binnington as is his play has been mediocre so kudos to the Canadian coaches for sticking to their guns cause he came up big in the game especially in OT. The NHL will be back for the Winter Olympics in 2026 and 2030 so we can expect more great international hockey at the highest level. The gap between Team Canada and other teams has narrowed. Several teams have the players to make a run for the gold medal.
K3PO
Well done Canada! United States is a hard team to beat.
Didn't see the game - what was were the main improvements in Canada's game?
Tokyo Guy
"You can't take our country -- and you can't take our game"
No notes, chef's kiss.
John-San
Kick their rear end, beat them in all facets of the game. the USA are useless when it come to international events. From wars to sport except basketball where it is really African American of the United States. So Basketball don't really count.
The_Beagle
The two teams were really even. Both teams' goalies were outstanding. McDavid finally got clear in the slot and the pass to him perfectly set him up to snipe the top corner. I love sudden-death hockey!
Geeter Mckluskie
Sweet as Maple syrup
kokajp
Canada! Canada!
buchailldana
There is a God!!
Go Canada.
Mocheake
Congrats, Canada! Well deserved. Of course, I wanted the U.S. to win though. Stupid politics aside, in any international tournament from the Olympics and going back to the old Cold War ones vs. the Soviet Union in the days of Dryden, Kapustin, Tretiak, et al I root for the U.S. and if they can't get it done, I want to see Canada get it. It's better than seeing some European or the Ruskies win. Enjoy the celebration!
toolonggone
US Olympic performances might suggest otherwise. I’m quite happy Canada won but there’s no reason to make up lies when expressing that happiness.
What an odd and, dare I say, racist thing to say. Are Black Americans not American?
FizzBit
Great game. Fun to watch. My fellow Americans not booing the Canadian anthem. Classy.
TaiwanIsNotChina
Would you like to see us on top of the medal board in a few more olympics?
smithinjapan
I remember as a kid sometimes watching the classic match-up of the US or Canada vs. the USSR in hockey and how it meant so much that one of the former teams won. Now that Trump wants to join Putin in a new kind of USSR, Canada vs. the US has the same kind of feel and importance as when either of those teams went against the USSR. And, the best team won, while the evil dictators lost. Eat humiliation pie, Americans!
smithinjapan
FizzBit: "My fellow Americans not booing the Canadian anthem. Classy."
It's just a reaction to being even more loudly booed, and rightfully so, by Canadians. And anyway, they are only booing their inferior performance and loss, in the end.
Volsi
It was just like a friendly tournament. They are not the strongest in hockey (except Canada and Finland)
stickman1760
Suppose they could become the 11th province but the truth is we don’t want them. Too much dirty laundry
lostrune2
The US were outplaying Canada in OT, but the questionable Canadian goaltender literally stood on his head in OT making game-saving stops
McJesus admitted not having a good game due to the US defense, but that one time he got a chance, he put it away
That's sometimes how the puck rolls. Congrats Canucka!
LoL, ya do realize the US just won the 2025 World Junior Ice Hockey Championship last month, making them 2-time defending world champions
Let's not get overboard on what's essentially a NHL All-Star Invitational tournament
That's probably because he considers Black Canadians as not Canadians, so when the Black Canadians beat the Black Americans for the Bronze medal in the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup, he does not consider that as a win for Canada
John-San
Toolo: not by per population capita, that my dear friend honour goes to Bahamas . USA don't even make the top 10. With the funds and easy life style one would think they be on the top but on. Like I have mention many time the USA is so overrated and useless at international level it laughable.
LOst: I point out that due to slavey the USA rip off the best gene poll of Africa and even the Black USAmerican acknowledge this. Hence they refer to themself as African USAmericans. The USA is just pain useless at international competition.
Guy_Gin_and_Tonic
Trump’ll be pissed now, eh? Good.
lostrune2
LoL, now you're just grasping at straws! Who ever measures Olympics success by per capita?! No one! LoL
That's because there are limits to the number of athletes any one nation can send in an Olympics sport discipline
For ex: even though the US has 3x the population of Japan, either nation can only send a maximum of 3 athletes in any Track & Field discipline. If per capita criteria has to be used, then the US has to be allowed to send 3x the number of athletes that Japan can. China has 4x the population of the US, yet can only send still just 3 athletes per Track & Field discipline - same as the US and Japan
Bahamas has 1/1200th of the population of the US, 1/400th the population of Japan, and 1/4800th the population of China. Yet Bahamas can also send 3 athletes per Track & Field discipline. That basically means the Bahamas is WAY OVER-REPRESENTED with regards to population
And that's why nobody uses per capita in the Olympics - because the size of population does NOT affect the number of athletes per sports discipline. The number of athletes is CAPPED, no matter the size of the population
Pain? Lol
The US is the defending Olympics women football champion, won the Swimming and Track & Field medals table, won Women's Gymnastics, etc.
stickman1760
The Americans played well but they just can’t seem to deliver at the senior level the way the Canadians can. Kinda like the way they always lose now to Japan in baseball.
toolonggone
I get it. You hate America. I am perfectly fine with that but again, your arguments are just plain silly. Competition wins aren't asterisked if the winner comes from a country with a larger population than the loser. If that were the case, wouldn't it also make sense to do it by state and city? Asterisk the Jets wins against the Packers and Arsenal's against Liverpool and anytime Eliud Kipchoge outran anyone from Ethiopia.
Yes, the important point is that they are American, regardless of the horrible way in which that came about. The Bahamas, Brazil, Haiti, Jamaica, to name but a few, all had slavery, so your point again is what exactly?
TaiwanIsNotChina
Imagine how much lower your vaunted China ranks, then.
TaiwanIsNotChina
Right, the inferior team that send you scrambling on Saturday. Keep telling yourself Canadians can't be asinine like everybody else.
John-San
Toolo: No I don't hate America, that is a continent made up. of many peaceful countries , I hate and detest USAmerica. Pack of useless fascist who voted Trump in twice even after the Fascist lead attack on January 6 th. Really you should be barred from international events like above. You weaponise the dollar, you invade peaceful countries. Extort and bully everyone and anyone who don't side your fascist agendas. So you should not be allow in international events with other peaceful countries. You made your bed now you have cop it sweet off free people of the world. Get use to it because there is plenty more to come.
Canucksfan
Good job Team Canada. Good job. Btw, the fights in the round robin game were not politically fueled like this article suggests. It was planned by Team USA in a group chat in order to put on a show.
Fighto!
Well done Canada! Silencing the American crowd must have been great!