Latest news with #4NationsFace-OffChampionship
New York Times
22-02-2025
- Politics
- New York Times
Canada's Hockey Victory Sends a Message to Trump: Hands Off
Some sports rivalries are generational. Others are about an underdog fight or national pride. Image Sidney Crosby celebrates Team Canada's win at the 4 Nations Face-Off Championship. hockey victory over the United States on Thursday was a bit of both. Against a backdrop of taunts by President Trump about annexing Canada and the looming economic threat of 25 percent tariffs on Canadian goods, a lot was symbolically riding on the game. [ Read: Trump Says Auto Tariffs Coming Apr. 2 ] 'Canada needed a win, and the players beared that on their shoulders,' Jon Cooper, Canada's coach, said after the game. 'This one was different. This wasn't a win for themselves. This was a win for 40-plus million people. The guys knew it and they delivered.' The game capped off a round-robin tournament called the 4 Nations Face-Off between Canada, Finland, Sweden and the United States. It was the first international tournament since the 2016 World Cup of Hockey to feature some of the National Hockey League's best players representing their countries. The championship on Thursday took on geopolitical consequences unfamiliar to Canadian sports fans. After Canada lost the first-round match, there was a sense of urgency weighed by heavy stakes and a responsibility to prove something very important to the world. Instead of the usual electric anticipation before sports matchups between Canada and the United States, this championship's buildup held a bitterness. Social media was abuzz with insults in both directions. My group chat plotted how many Canadian flags would sufficiently offend at a sports bar. Bygone were the playful pregame bets between world leaders. Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times. Thank you for your patience while we verify access. Already a subscriber? Log in. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Yahoo
21-02-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Canada Thwarts U.S.—and Trump—in 4 Nations Hockey Final
Canada celebrates after beating the U.S. in the 4 Nations Face-Off Championship in Boston on Feb. 20, 2025. Credit - Bruce Bennett—Getty Images Connor McDavid broke America's heart. The Canadian hockey superstar, a three-time NHL MVP who also won the NFL playoff MVP last season even though he played for the losing Edmonton Oilers in the Stanley Cup Finals, took a centering pass and beat American goaltender Connor Hellebuyck with a laser shot to give Canada a thrilling 3-2 overtime victory over the U.S. in the final of the inaugural—and highly successful—4 Nations Face-Off. The tournament—which pitted teams from the U.S., Canada, Finland, and Sweden against each other as a replacement for the NHL's usually low-wattage All-Star festivities—drew record viewership, in large part due to a burgeoning U.S.-Canada geopolitical rivalry that spilled out onto the ice. The last time the U.S. and Canada met in a best-in-class world final that required an overtime session was the gold medal game of the 2010 Olympics, when Sidney Crosby scored an overtime goal in Vancouver that sent the home nation into hysterics. McDavid, just like Crosby 15 years ago, shows that Canadian hockey icons know how to deliver in the biggest moments on the biggest of stages. It was an edge-of-your-seat match for viewers. The teams traded goals in the first period; Nathan McKinnon of Canada struck first, before American Brady Tkachuck evened things up with a little more than three minutes left in the period, after an Austin Matthews wraparound instigated the action. The U.S. started to sense victory potential in the second, when Jake Sanderson gave the Americans a 2-1 advantage. But a Sam Bennett goal equalized the affair, before a scoreless third period sent the game into sudden-death. The politically-tinged tension of this championship game was unmistakable. Canada has taken exception to U.S. President Donald Trump's pronouncement that the country could soon be America's 51st state: during previous games in the tournament that took place in Montreal, fans booed the 'Star Spangled Banner.' The atmosphere felt much different Thursday night, in Boston: red 'Make America Great Again' hats dotted the crowd. 'USA! USA!' chants were particularly fervent. Last Saturday's meeting between the neighbors, in round-robin play, saw three fights between the teams in nine seconds. Team USA won that round, and the rivalry matchup drew 10.1 million North American viewers, the highest number recorded outside the Stanley Cup Final since 2014, according to the NHL. Trump has adopted the U.S. team as his own. He posted on Truth Social Thursday that, although he wouldn't be able to attend the game because of a prior commitment, he wanted to 'to spur them on towards victory tonight against Canada, which with FAR LOWER TAXES AND MUCH STRONGER SECURITY, will someday, maybe soon, become our cherished, and very important, Fifty First State.' He's taken to calling Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau 'governor'—and relished another chance to get under his skin. Trump wrote that 'he'd be watching and that if Governor Trudeau would like to join us, he would be most welcome.' Later, the President shared a video showing that he indeed called the U.S. team before the game. 'I just want to wish you a lot of luck. You really are a skilled group of people. It's an honor to talk to you,' he said over a phone held by U.S. coach Mike Sullivan. 'There's no pressure whatsoever.' The players in the locker room laughed. 'I can tell you honestly, every person in here—players, staff, management, coaches—we are all proud Americans and we want to represent the country the best way we can,' Sullivan responded. 'Just go out and have a good time,' Trump said. 'You're going to win, and we love America, we love you guys. We'll be watching tonight, bring it home.' The U.S. failed to do so this time around, giving Canada some well-deserved gratification. 'You can't take our country,' Trudeau gloated on X. 'And you can't take our game.' But Trump may take some satisfaction: While U.S. national teams competing on the world stage tended to distance themselves from him in his first term—the U.S. women's soccer team in 2019 relished trolling him—this hockey team seemed to embrace the attention Trump lavished upon them. A victory could have given Trump and his supporters a sort of first MAGA world title. There will be other chances. These teams can meet again in the upcoming Winter Olympics, next year in Milan. Sports fans around the world will be watching. The President very much among them. Write to Sean Gregory at
CNN
21-02-2025
- Sport
- CNN
Canada wins hockey's 4 Nations Face-off championship in overtime thriller
Canada's men's hockey team defeated the USA 3-2 in overtime Thursday to capture the inaugural 4 Nations Face-Off Championship as the NHL put on a show in the first edition of this midseason international tournament. The overtime period opened up with end-to-end action and both teams having chances to put the game away as tension filled Boston's TD Garden. Eventually it was Team Canada's Connor McDavid scoring the game-winning goal, giving the Canadian superstar his biggest moment on the international stage and echoing teammate Sidney Crosby's overtime winner against the USA in the 2010 Winter Olympics. During the pre-game festivities of the highly-anticipated final, Team USA hockey icon Mike Eruzione honored the late Johnny Gaudreau. Serving as an honorary captain alongside Wayne Gretzky, the 'Miracle on Ice' captain wore Gaudreau's No. 13 Team USA jersey as he skated out to the ice. Nathan MacKinnon opened the scoring for Team Canada, getting the puck on a pass from Thomas Harley before whipping the wrist shot from the top of the slot, sending it through traffic and past Connor Hellebuyck for the 1-0 score. Team USA answered back with just over three minutes left in the first period. Captain Auston Matthews attempted a wraparound shot, but Canada's goalie Jordan Binnington made the stop. However, left winger Brady Tkachuk was there to capitalize, tapping in the deflected puck to even the score at 1-1. 'I've never experienced anything like that,' Tkachuk told the ESPN broadcast after the 1st period. Tkachuk was questionable to play entering Thursday night's final, after leaving the team's game against Sweden early on Monday, and missing the team's practice on Wednesday due to illness. 'I wouldn't miss the game for the world,' Tkachuk said. 'This is basically, I mean guys are talking as much as you can emulate a Game 7 or even bigger than that so there's not a chance in hell that I was missing this one.' Just like in their first matchup on Saturday, where they initially fell behind 1-0, Team USA once again found themselves trailing before seizing the lead in the second period. With over 12 minutes left in the second period, Zach Werenski fired a shot from near the blue line, but Canada's Binnington was there for the stop. Matthews though quickly gathered the rebound and as he attempted to pass it to Brady Tkachuk, the puck was deflected, landing by Jake Sanderson, who buried it into the back of the net for the 2-1 lead. Slavin made the start in the final in place of the injured Charlie McAvoy, who suffered an upper-body injury during Team USA's first game of the tournament against Finland. However, Canada flipped the script a minute later, when Mitchell Marner dished a pass to Sam Bennett, who skated through the left circle before going top shelf from close range to tie the game 2-2. With 'USA, USA' chants filling the TD Garden throughout the tension-filled third period, neither side was able to find the back of the net and the game went into overtime. After 60 minutes of regulation, it was only right that a game of this magnitude headed into overtime. For some Team USA fans, it stirred memories of the 2010 gold medal game between the two sides, when Crosby's iconic 'golden goal' in overtime secured Canada's triumph at the Vancouver Olympics. During the round-robin stage of those Olympics, Team USA had defeated Canada, only to fall short in the championship rematch. That victory remained their last against Canada until their win on Saturday. In the sudden death overtime, Canada's Jordan Binnington came up with multiple game-saving stops, robbing Brady Tkachuk and Auston Matthews a couple times before McDavid's game-winner. The intensity surrounding the title game and the inaugural 4 Nations Face-off tournament itself soared after these two historic rivals met Saturday in Montreal. In that round-robin matchup, three on-ice fights broke out in the game's first nine seconds, sending the crowd at the Bell Centre into a frenzy and leaving most of the hockey world yearning for a rematch. The rivalry had added spice thanks to the political clashes between the two nations over the last several weeks sparked by President Donald Trump's return to office. Trump has repeatedly stated his desire to see Canada become the US' 51st state, jabbed at Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and threatened massive tariffs that would have a devastating effect on Canada's economy. That political dynamic has led to 'The Star-Spangled Banner' being booed at rinks across Canada in recent weeks, including on Saturday in Montreal before the first clash between the two teams. 'O Canada' was booed briefly on Thursday in Boston, but it appeared much of the crowd was singing the Canadian anthem together by its conclusion. The US was first to earn the right to play in the championship game with that 3-1 win over Canada Saturday, while the Canadians locked up the rematch with Team USA by holding off Finland 4-3 on Monday. Despite the US victory on Saturday, history was on the Canadians' side going into Thursday's final. Team Canada had emerged victorious in five of its past six international best-on-best hockey tournaments, including three in a row: the 2010 and 2014 Olympics and the 2016 World Cup of Hockey. Team USA, meanwhile, hadn't won an international best-on-best final since 1996, when they took a best-of-three final over Canada at the World Cup of Hockey, scoring back-to-back 5-2 wins in Montreal after losing game one of the series in overtime in Philadelphia.
CNN
21-02-2025
- Politics
- CNN
USA & Canada faced off, who should be next?
The USA-Canada rivalry was rekindled with recent political headlines, but it reached a boiling point with the 4 Nations Face-Off Championship. Abby Phillip's NewsNight panel weighed in with their favorite rivalries.
Fox News
21-02-2025
- Sport
- Fox News
Americans barely boo Canadian national anthem, then belt out ‘The Star-Spangled Banner' in patriotic display
BOSTON – One of the biggest storylines heading into the 4 Nations Face-Off Championship game between Team USA and Team Canada had nothing to do with the contest set to take place on the ice. No, attention was squarely focused on the national anthems prior to the opening face-off. When the two teams squared off in Canada on Saturday night, Canadians mercilessly booed the American National Anthem. While there wasn't much booing for the Canadian anthem on Monday in Boston before Team Canada defeated Team Finland to secure its spot in the final, it was a heavily Canadian crowd, since Team USA didn't play Sweden until later that night. But that wasn't the case on Thursday. With Team USA taking on Team Canada for the tournament title, American fans packed TD Garden. So, the question was: would the Americans respond in kind prior to the Championship game with a booing of the Canadian National Anthem? The answer was … sort of. There were some boos at the very beginning, but nothing nearing the level of disrespect displayed by the Canadians on Saturday. Of course, once it came time for the U.S. National Anthem, American patriots were up to the task. If this doesn't give you goosebumps, I don't know what will. As a proud American, hearing the tens of thousands of fans belt out the "Star-Spangled Banner" in unison was awe-inspiring. As was the incredible reception the crowd gave Mike Eruzione, the captain of the 1980 United States Olympic hockey team that won the gold medal after upsetting the Soviet Union in the biggest moment in American hockey history. God Bless America. Follow Fox News Digital's sports coverage on X and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
