Canada’s Connor McDavid (97) celebrates after his game-winning aim in opposition to the USA on Thursday throughout an extra time interval of the 4 Nations Face-Off championship hockey sport in Boston. (AP Picture/Charles Krupa)
Charles Krupa/AP
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Charles Krupa/AP
BOSTON — Once they performed “O Canada” for the second time, there have been no American followers left within the enviornment to boo.
As a substitute, the Canadian staff stood on the blue line, arm in arm, participant and coach, sporting their championship hats whereas the maple leaf flag was lowered behind the 4 Nations Face-Off trophy and the nationwide anthem reverberated throughout the Individuals’ residence ice. The followers who remained, a lot of them of their pink Group Canada jerseys, sang alongside.
Connor McDavid scored at 8:18 of extra time to present Canada a 3-2 victory over the USA on Thursday evening because the North American rivals turned what had been a tune-up for the 2026 Olympics right into a geopolitical brawl over anthems and annexation as a lot as worldwide hockey supremacy.
Or, to place it one other manner: It was the 51st U.S. state 3, Canada’s eleventh province 2.
“You’ll be able to’t take our nation — and you may’t take our sport,” Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau posted on X in a cross-border callback to President Donald Trump’s chatter about turning one of many United States’ closest allies into the 51st state.
“A number of stuff occurring with Canada and the USA proper now, and us enjoying in opposition to one another was type of an ideal storm for our sport,” mentioned Nathan MacKinnon, who was chosen the MVP of the brand new event with 4 targets in 4 video games. “It was way more well-liked than even we’d have imagined. It was getting a lot consideration from our entire continent.”
Jordan Binnington stopped 31 photographs — together with the final 20 in a row — on the identical ice the place he helped the St. Louis Blues win the Stanley Cup as a rookie 5 years in the past. MacKinnon and Sam Bennett additionally scored for Canada, which made it 2-2 within the second interval after which performed a scoreless third.
After a flurry of saves by Binnington early within the extra time, Canada gained a faceoff within the U.S. zone and Mitch Marner obtained the puck alongside the boards earlier than popping it into the middle to McDavid for the winner. The Canadians poured over the boards to rejoice, shook arms with the vanquished Individuals, after which took turns skating with the never-before-awarded trophy.
“Simply to see the response. Simply to know what it means to us. I do know it is only a fast event, and it isn’t an Olympic gold medal or something like that, but it surely means the world to our group, as you possibly can see,” McDavid mentioned.
“I hope (the brand new followers) like it,” he mentioned. “It is a terrific sport, it is a terrific sport and I hope we placed on a superb present these final couple days and gained some followers, finally. You’ll be able to’t ask for a greater present than that.”
Brady Tkachuk and Jake Sanderson scored for the Individuals, and Connor Hellebuyck stopped 22 photographs in regulation and three extra in OT. The U.S. has misplaced all however one sport in opposition to Canada in best-on-best worldwide play relationship to the preliminaries of the 2010 Vancouver Olympics; the lone victory was within the 4 Nations round-robin, a sport so good it turned Thursday’s sequel into probably the most anticipated worldwide hockey occasions in a long time.
“I feel guys which might be at residence watching this, I am hoping they’re wanting a chunk of it,” U.S. ahead Dylan Larkin mentioned. “This grew the sport rather well, however I hope it pushes guys to desire a piece of this after which the following era that obtained to look at this, they are going to watch the Olympics subsequent 12 months and hopefully there is a totally different final result.”
The already ripe rivalry between the 2 North American hockey powers took on an added depth through the event following Trump’s tariff threats and discuss of creating Canada the 51st U.S. state. Trump referred to as the American staff Thursday morning to want it effectively, then turned to Fact Social to take a poke at “Governor Trudeau.”
The political backdrop mixed with the standard of the round-robin sport, which the USA gained 3-1 on Saturday, to convey the ambiance of a Stanley Cup Last or Olympic gold medal sport to the TD Backyard.
Followers of their staff jerseys waved flags, shouted for his or her countrymen and continued the ritual booing of the opposing nationwide anthem that has grow to be an nightly undercard for a event that returned the NHL’s stars to the worldwide scene after lacking the final two Winter Video games.
The pregame hype video was a callback to the 1980 Olympics, when the undermanned U.S. staff upset the highly effective Soviet machine within the midst of the Chilly Warfare. “Miracle on Ice” Olympic hero and honorary U.S. captain Mike Eruzione wore a Johnny Gaudreau jersey to honor the reminiscence of former Boston Faculty and Calgary Flames star who was killed by a drunk driver whereas bicycling in New Jersey at his sister’s wedding ceremony final summer season.
The American followers chanted “Johnny Hockey!” to spur their staff on, and broke into frequent cheers of “U-S-A! U-S-A!” — identical to in Lake Placid.
However this time it was the staff in pink that got here away with the win.
“We wished this one,” Canada ahead Mark Stone mentioned. “You’ve got obtained 40 million Canadians, sitting at residence, and you’re feeling the power. Anytime you’ve gotten the possibility to play for our nation, or the flag on our chest, it is a particular, particular feeling. … It brings us collectively. And simply glad we obtained to get this one.”
