The 4 Nations Face-Off will end exactly how the National Hockey League Drew it up: a final of the US-Canada.
The two squadrons fought it on Saturday in what their first meeting was in a best-to-best format in nine years, and a raw montreal-very Three fights in the first nine secondsIncluding two in the first three.
The rivalry extends more than enough time, but with political tensions between the two countries it is now hotter than ever before.
Before we dive in the final of Thursday evening, let’s look at some of the history of the rivalry and how we came where we are today.
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Brandon Hagel of Canada, left, fights Matthew Tkachuk of the United States during the first period of the 4 Nations Face-Off competition in Montreal on Saturday. (Graham Hughes/Canadian Press via AP)
The world juniors have been more fun for the Americans in recent years: each of the last four gold medal games between the two countries went to the Americans, most recently in 2021. These are the big competitions.
The very first meeting between the two countries in a best-to-best format was back in the Canada Cup 1976, which won Team Canada, 4-2; The Americans did not win their first victory over their northern neighbors at the 1996 World Cup of Hockey after losing seven of their first eight meetings and unions in the other.
The US won the World Cup of that year and took the best-of-three series opposite Canada, but since then it has usually been Canadian dominance again.
Canada went with the 4 Nations face-off from 1998 to 2016 and went 6-1 against the Americans, and three of those victories were absolute intestinal punches to the United States.
Canada took home the Olympic gold medal from 2002 in Salt Lake City about the Americans, but more famous, Sidney Crosby’s golden goal Eight years later, also came at the expense of Team USA for a crowd of Vancouver.
Canada attacker Sidney Crosby scores the game -winning goal in the extension against the US during the men’s hockey gold medal match in the Winter Olympics in Vancouver in 2010. (Kyle Terada-usa Today Sports)
Four years later, Canada again defeated the US in the Olympic semi -final. The only victory of the United States in the aforementioned wingspan came during the group game of the 2010 Olympic Games, and their last meeting for last week was a 4-2 Canada victory in the 2016 Hockey World Cup in Toronto. So it has been a while since the stars and stripes have had bragging.
However, the best players in the countries would be on break after problems with the NHL, planning, travel and COVID-19. But a year ago, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman announced that the new 4 Nations Face-Offs were born and NHL players would go back to the Olympic Games in 2026 and 2030.
However, there was some skepticism when this tournament approached: “This tournament is fake. Will the players give? What if there is an injury like Edwin Diaz in the World Baseball Classic?”
But to this day, where almost a decade of missed opportunity plus a heated political landscape has brought us the best rivalry in hockey to a new level, and that criticism is no longer.
US, Canada Hockey Stars that fought against each other, throw subtle jabs before 4 nations final
At the beginning of this month, in response to the approaching rates of President Donald Trump against Canada on goods, Canadian crowds boost the national anthem of the United States during sporting events in which an American team visits. When Team USA played its first 4 nation match against Finland last Thursday, it would have been thought that the game was be played abroadAlthough it was in Montreal.
Players and fans stand for the American national anthem prior to the first period of the 4 Nations Face-Off Game between Canada and the United States in Montreal on Saturday. (Christinne Muschi/Canadian Press via AP)
Fast-Forward to Saturday evening, when the raw crowd held out “The Star-Spangled Banner” everywhere, and then gloves were immediately fell at the opening face-off between the American star Matthew Tkachuk and Brandon Hagel from Team Canada. At the next face-off Matthew’s brother, Brady, Sam Bennett, who is teammates with Matthew for the Florida Panthers. Dan, six seconds later, after a stop by the goalkeeper, JT Miller threw hands with Colton Parayko.
The already electric crowd was on fire, and even more when Connor McDavid of Canada opened the score in the first period. The defense of Team USA, however, appeared and the Americans scored three unanswered goals to take home their first victory against Canada in almost 15 years. The game collected an average of 4.4 million viewers, the most viewed non-Stanley Cup hockey game since 2019.
United States players celebrate after beating Canada in the 4 Nations Face-Off Game in Montreal on Saturday. (Graham Hughes/Canadian Press via AP)
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Now the two teams will go again, this time in Boston for what the most popular ticket is in the city. The entry price is more than $ 1,000, it is the best-selling NHL-Gesanctional game of the season, and fans from 28 countries buy tickets for the spectacle.
Team USA has not won back-to-back matches against Canada since that 1996 series. In total, Canada has a 13-4-1 record compared to the Americans, but the 4 countries on Thursday may just be worth 10 points.
The Puck drops at 8 p.m. in TD Garden.
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