The 4 Nations Face-Off will finish exactly how the National Hockey League drew it up: a USA-Canada final.
The two squads battled it out on Saturday in what was their first meeting in a best-on-best format in nine years, and a raucous Montreal crowd that booed “The Star-Spangled Banner” was delivered an immediate treat with three fights in the first nine seconds, including two in the first three.
The rivalry stretches over plenty of time, but with political tensions between the two countries, it’s now hotter than ever before.Â
Before diving into Thursday night’s final, let’s take a look at some of the rivalry’s history and how we got to where we are today.
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Canada’s Brandon Hagel, left, fights United States’ Matthew Tkachuk during the first period of the 4 Nations Face-Off game in Montreal on Saturday. (Graham Hughes/Canadian Press via AP)
The World Juniors have been nicer to the Americans in recent years: each of the last four gold-medal games between the two countries have gone to the Americans, most recently in 2021. However, this is the big leagues.
The very first meeting between the two countries in a best-on-best format was back in the 1976 Canada Cup, which Team Canada won, 4-2; the Americans did not earn their first win over their northern neighbors until the 1996 World Cup of Hockey after losing seven of their first eight meetings, and tying in the other.
The U.S. won that year’s World Cup, taking home the best-of-three series against Canada, but since then, it’s mostly been Canadian dominance again.
Entering the 4 Nations Face-Off, Canada went 6-1 against the Americans from 1998 to 2016, and three of those wins were absolute gut-punches to the United States.
Canada took home the 2002 Olympic gold medal in Salt Lake City over the Americans, but more famously, Sidney Crosby’s golden goal eight years later also came at the expense of Team USA in front of a Vancouver crowd.Â
Canada forward Sidney Crosby scores the game-winning goal in overtime against the USA during the men’s hockey gold medal match in the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics. (Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports)
Four years later, Canada again defeated the USA in the Olympic semifinals. The United States’ only win in the aforementioned span came during group play of the 2010 Olympics, and their last meeting before last week was a 4-2 Canada win in the 2016 World Cup of Hockey in Toronto. So, it’s been quite a while since the Stars and Stripes have had bragging rights.
The countries’ best players, though, would be on hiatus after issues with the NHL, scheduling, travel and COVID-19. But one year ago, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman announced the new 4 Nations Face-Off was born and NHL players would go back to the Olympics in 2026 and 2030.
Some skepticism came as this tournament approached, though: “This tournament’s fake. Will the players care? What if there’s an injury like Edwin Diaz in the World Baseball Classic?”
But that brings us to the present day, where nearly a decade of missed opportunity plus a heated political landscape has brought the best rivalry in hockey to a new level, and that criticism is no more.
USA, CANADA HOCKEY STARS WHO FOUGHT EACH OTHER THROW SUBTLE JABS AHEAD OF 4 NATIONS FINAL
Beginning this month, as a response to President Donald Trump’s impending tariffs against Canada on goods, Canadian crowds have booed the United States’ national anthem during sporting events in which an American team is visiting. When Team USA played its first 4 Nations game last Thursday against Finland, one would have thought the game was being played overseas, even though it was in Montreal.
Players and fans stand for the U.S. 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 night, when the raucous crowd booed “The Star-Spangled Banner” throughout, and then gloves were dropped right at the opening face-off between U.S. star Matthew Tkachuk and Brandon Hagel of Team Canada. On the next face-off, Matthew’s brother, Brady, fought Sam Bennett, who is teammates with Matthew for the Florida Panthers. Then, six seconds later, after a goalie stoppage, J.T. Miller threw hands with Colton Parayko.
The already electric crowd was on fire, and even more so when Canada’s Connor McDavid opened up the scoring in the first period. However, Team USA’s defense showed up, and the Americans scored three unanswered goals to take home their first win against Canada in nearly 15 years. The game garnered an average of 4.4 million viewers, the most-watched non-Stanley Cup hockey game since 2019.
United States players celebrate after defeating 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 at it once again, this time in Boston for what is the hottest ticket in town. The get-in price is over $1,000, it’s the best-selling NHL-sanctioned game of the season, and fans from 28 countries are buying tickets to the spectacle.
Team USA has not won back-to-back contests against Canada since that 1996 series. In all, Canada owns a 13-4-1 record over the Americans, but Thursday’s 4 Nations Face-Off final may just be worth 10 points.Â
The puck drops at TD Garden at 8 p.m. ET.
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