Supercharged U.S.-Canada finale to have anthem animosity, maybe a fight, but mainly heart
Bill Guerin nailed it the other day when he went on Fox and said there's 'a little bit of a political flare' going on in the hockey rivalry between the United States and Canada.
Of course there is. President Trump, you'll recall, has taken to referring to Canada as 'the 51st state.' In keeping with that theme, the president has bestowed a new title on Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, calling him 'Governor Trudeau.' (As belittling, sophomoric Trump nicknames go, you have to admit that one is pretty good.)
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And don't forget Trump's tariff threats, which could trigger a trade war.
Speaking of wars, the United States faces Canada in the 4 Nations Face-Off championship on Thursday night at TD Garden in Boston.
Even as a politics-free stand-alone, the game is guaranteed to be memorable, which is why tickets are going for a minimum of $1,250 on the secondary market, per The Athletic's Chris Johnston. And if the television ratings for the USA's 3-1 victory over Canada last Saturday night in Montreal are any indication, they're going to sizzle for Thursday's finale.
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Politics and name-calling aside, United States-Canada is a for-real rivalry, especially when one takes into account the hammer-against-the-nail success the Canadians have had against the Americans over the years in international competition. Canada's record against the US is 13-4-1 in 'best-on-best' competition, including victories in the gold medal games at the 2002 and 2010 Olympics. And don't forget that Thursday's championship game is being played in Boston, where Canadiens versus Bruins remains every bit as intense as Yankees versus Red Sox.
Can Team USA create their own Miracle moment in 2025? 🏒@emilymkaplan gives a status check ahead of USA vs. Canada in the 4 Nations Face-Off Championship 🇺🇸🇨🇦 pic.twitter.com/Ij3FkBLQDW
— ESPN (@espn) February 19, 2025
Now, back to Guerin's comment about that 'little bit of a political flare,' which reveals the Wilbraham, Mass., native to be a little bit of a political scientist. As general manager of the United States team, Guerin had an up-close-and-personal look at last week's United States-Canada matchup in Montreal, which got underway after the Bell Centre crowd loudly booed the American national anthem. And then the game began, and the boobirds were still settling in their seats when 'Three fights in nine seconds!' cemented itself as an instant-classic sports catchphrase, right up there with 'And down the stretch they come!' and 'Do you believe in miracles!?'
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Let's summarize:
• Canadian fans booing the American national anthem.
• Three fights in nine seconds to start the game.
• A spirited victory by the United States.
Think there's anything more that can be done to draw attention to this game?
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'We would love it if President Trump was in attendance,' Guerin said during his Fox appearance. 'We have a roomful of proud American players and coaches and staff, and, listen, we're just trying to represent our country the best way we can.'
There's already been plenty of speculation about how the Garden crowd is going to react to the Canadian national anthem. I have some thoughts on that. Here goes: Do whatever you want. Take your patriotism to whatever heights, or lows, you believe are suitable for the occasion. Cheer. Boo. Sit. Stand. Do something. Do nothing.
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However, I do invite you to consider what took place at Montreal's Stade Olympique on the night of Sept. 18, 2001. The Montreal Expos were hosting the Florida Marlins in their first home game since the Sept. 11 terrorist strikes, and players on both teams lined the sidelines during the playing of the American and Canadian national anthems. The crowd was small — an announced 2,917 for a late-season game between two teams whose playoff hopes had long since vanished — but those who were there stood up and saluted America. According to the Miami Herald, 'Five members of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police marched in from center field under silence, leading a contingent of law enforcement and fire fighters who carried American flags and ringed the field for the anthem.'
After the ceremony, the public address system played John Lennon singing, 'Give Peace a Chance.'
An 18-year-old Montreal woman, Isabelle Lepage, brought an American flag to the game. 'I bought it in New York in 1997 in a shop near the World Trade Center,' Lepage said, according to the Associated Press. 'I wanted to show our solidarity with the United States.'
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Fast forward to April 15, 2013. Robin Watson of Vancouver had just competed in the 117th Boston Marathon in 2:15:33, which was 11th overall, making him the top Canadian finisher. He was at the Copley Place Hotel having lunch with family members — including his brother, Pete Watson, now director of men's and women's track and field at Boston College — when two bombs planted by terrorists went off at the finish line, just across Copley Plaza.
I reached out to Watson, now 41.
'I'll always love the city of Boston and the people of Boston just for the way they reacted to that,' Watson told me. 'They took care of us. It was their city that was under attack. It was happening in their community. But what I remember most is everyone around us making sure we were safe and secure.
'Something that will always resonate with me is that after the bombs went off you had more people running toward the explosion than away from the explosion,' Watson said. 'It was a coming-together. It was people helping people.
'Boston may have a reputation for being rough around the edges,' Watson said, 'but they care. They're good people.'
Watson will be rooting for Canada tonight with all his heart.
Puck drop is scheduled for shortly after 8 p.m., following the playing of the Canadian and American national anthems.
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(Photo of Team USA's Matthew Tkachuk and Team Canada's Brandon Hagel: Minas Panagiotakis / Getty Images)
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