Jake Guentzel of Team USA skates against Connor McDavid of Team Canada during the second period in the 4 Nations Face-Off game at the Bell Centre on Saturday in Montreal.Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images
So much for tensions being relaxed between the American and Canadian hockey teams at the 4 Nations Face-Off. With a much-anticipated final coming on Thursday, it seems unlikely that a truce will be called.
The clubs met in a round-robin brass-knuckle match on Saturday during which punches were thrown by everybody except water boys. What was established by the NHL as a friendly international best-on-best tournament has evolved into something much more tense.
The hockey has been exceptional – and hostility has risen, just as it has between these two nations sparring over political uneasiness.
The previous game between them drew a larger television audience than the NBA all-star game. Canada versus U.S.A averaged 4.7 million viewers on Sportsnet, and reached 9.35 million Canadians on SN and SN+.
It was the most-viewed non-Stanley Cup Final hockey broadcast since 2019. And one can expect more eyeballs come Thursday.
Canada and the U.S. take pressure, history into 4 Nations final
The Americans, who have pretty much been dominated by Canada in international hockey, won Saturday, 3-1. Now it is Canada’s chance to restore the order. If there was doubt that this event would be a lightweight, think again.
Jack Eichel won a Stanley Cup in 2023 with the Vegas Golden Knights. He is a past winner of the Hobey Baker Award, which, like football’s Heisman Trophy, is awarded to the most outstanding hockey player in the NCAA.
Those achievements aside, Eichel places great importance on helping Team USA win the championship at TD Garden on Thursday.
“It means the world to me,” Eichel said, looking ahead. “It is the biggest game I have played in quite some time, and maybe ever. I am looking forward to it and everyone in the locker room is. It’s what we wanted, right? It’s everything.”
A few certainties: The visitors will be booed into Massachusetts Bay; players will be checked for weapons; J.T. Miller will be angry – and he has very few teeth left to lose.
Sidney Crosby battles for a rebound in front of United States goaltender Connor Hellebuyck as Brock Faber and Jaccob Slavin defend during third period action in Montreal on Saturday.Christinne Muschi/The Canadian Press
Canada defeated Finland 5-3 on Monday to advance to the final. The U.S. was already in, so its 2-1 loss to Sweden on Family Day caused no fuss. Auston Matthews and Matthew Tkachuk sat out owing to minor irritations. Brady Tkachuk left the game early after incurring an injury. All three will be ready for the rematch, especially the Tkachuks, a prickly pair if there ever was one.
The Americans also added Quinn Hughes to their roster on Tuesday to replace injured defenceman Charlie McAvoy. There is no truth to the rumour that Canada tried to activate the Hanson Brothers.
“The first game between us made for such great hockey,” Mike Sullivan, the U.S. coach and also coach of the Pittsburgh Penguins, said. I think it’s great that these teams can meet again. I anticipate it will be a hard-fought battle. A celebration of hockey is what it is.”
The Canadians are in good shape. It is hard to look past Connor McDavid, Nathan MacKinnon and the ageless Sidney Crosby. The 37-year-old was upended in the final minute on Monday and gathered himself and sealed the win with a hard shot into an empty net.
But will Canada’s goaltending stand up with Connor Hellebuyck, who looks like he is on his way to a second straight Vezina Trophy, in the opposing net? Will gloves be dropped and equipment scattered all over the ice like tatoos in a dressing room? In that case, why wasn’t Ryan Reaves named to Team Canada?
Just a bit of humour there.
“I’m really looking forward to the game,” Jon Cooper, the Canadian coach, said. He is the bench boss in Tampa. “We wanted this. We came here for this purpose and now it’s just win one more game. It just happens to be against the team that beat us after the fireworks on Saturday night.
“I think the city of Boston is going to be treated to something special.”
NHL players have waited a long time to return to international best-on-best competition. They will get an opportunity to compete at the Olympics next year for the first time since 2014. For now, this is what they have got. An icy hors d’oeuvre.
“Last Saturday was a pretty intense game and we expect the same on Thursday,” Noah Hanifin, an American defenceman, said. “For me, it is probably the biggest one I have ever played in.”
Then he planted a flag on hallowed Canadian ground. Not that anyone dressed in the maple leaf will notice.
“For so long Canada was ‘the team’ and kind of the home of hockey, but I think the U.S. has made a lot of strides,” he said. “We have found a way to compete with Canada. Now we are looking to surpass them. It’s a huge opportunity to do that.”
Victor Hedman, the Swedish captain and a future hall of famer who plays for Tampa Bay, played against both teams and has numerous friends on either side. He was asked which he thought is the better and smiled and quickly bobbed and weaved like Muhammad Ali.
“That’s not for me to say,” he protested, but I think Montreal is a good taste of what’s to come. “I’m sure the hockey world will be tuning in on Thursday. I know I will.”