The 4 Nations Face-Off will end precisely how the Nationwide Hockey League drew it up: a USA-Canada closing.
The 2 squads battled it out on Saturday in what was their first assembly in a best-on-best format in 9 years, and a raucous Montreal crowd that booed “The Star-Spangled Banner” was delivered a direct deal with with three fights within the first 9 seconds, together with two within the first three.
The rivalry stretches over loads of time, however with political tensions between the 2 nations, it is now hotter than ever earlier than.
Earlier than diving into Thursday evening’s closing, let’s check out a few of the rivalry’s historical past and the way we bought to the place we’re at present.
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Canada’s Brandon Hagel, left, fights United States’ Matthew Tkachuk throughout the first interval of the 4 Nations Face-Off sport in Montreal on Saturday. (Graham Hughes/Canadian Press through AP)
The World Juniors have been nicer to the Individuals in recent times: every of the final 4 gold-medal video games between the 2 nations have gone to the Individuals, most lately in 2021. Nevertheless, that is the massive leagues.
The very first assembly between the 2 nations in a best-on-best format was again within the 1976 Canada Cup, which Group Canada gained, 4-2; the Individuals didn’t earn their first win over their northern neighbors till the 1996 World Cup of Hockey after shedding seven of their first eight conferences, and tying within the different.
The U.S. gained that 12 months’s World Cup, taking residence the best-of-three sequence in opposition to Canada, however since then, it is largely been Canadian dominance once more.
Getting into the 4 Nations Face-Off, Canada went 6-1 in opposition to the Individuals from 1998 to 2016, and three of these wins have been absolute gut-punches to america.
Canada took residence the 2002 Olympic gold medal in Salt Lake Metropolis over the Individuals, however extra famously, Sidney Crosby’s golden aim eight years later additionally got here on the expense of Group USA in entrance of a Vancouver crowd.
Canada ahead Sidney Crosby scores the game-winning aim in time beyond regulation in opposition to the USA throughout the males’s hockey gold medal match within the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics. (Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports activities)
4 years later, Canada once more defeated the USA within the Olympic semifinals. America’ solely win within the aforementioned span got here throughout group play of the 2010 Olympics, and their final assembly earlier than final week was a 4-2 Canada win within the 2016 World Cup of Hockey in Toronto. So, it has been fairly some time because the Stars and Stripes have had bragging rights.
The nations’ greatest gamers, although, could be on hiatus after points with the NHL, scheduling, journey and COVID-19. However one 12 months in the past, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman introduced the brand new 4 Nations Face-Off was born and NHL gamers would return to the Olympics in 2026 and 2030.
Some skepticism got here as this match approached, although: “This match’s faux. Will the gamers care? What if there’s an harm like Edwin Diaz within the World Baseball Traditional?”
However that brings us to the current day, the place almost a decade of missed alternative plus a heated political panorama has introduced one of the best rivalry in hockey to a brand new stage, and that criticism is not any extra.
USA, CANADA HOCKEY STARS WHO FOUGHT EACH OTHER THROW SUBTLE JABS AHEAD OF 4 NATIONS FINAL
Starting this month, as a response to President Donald Trump’s impending tariffs in opposition to Canada on items, Canadian crowds have booed america’ nationwide anthem throughout sporting occasions during which an American crew is visiting. When Group USA performed its first 4 Nations sport final Thursday in opposition to Finland, one would have thought the sport was being performed abroad, regardless that it was in Montreal.
Gamers and followers stand for the U.S. nationwide anthem previous to the primary interval of the 4 Nations Face-Off sport between Canada and america in Montreal on Saturday. (Christinne Muschi/Canadian Press through AP)
Quick-forward to Saturday evening, when the raucous crowd booed “The Star-Spangled Banner” all through, after which gloves have been dropped proper on the opening face-off between U.S. star Matthew Tkachuk and Brandon Hagel of Group Canada. On the following face-off, Matthew’s brother, Brady, fought Sam Bennett, who’s teammates with Matthew for the Florida Panthers. Then, six seconds later, after a goalie stoppage, J.T. Miller threw fingers with Colton Parayko.
The already electrical crowd was on hearth, and much more so when Canada’s Connor McDavid opened up the scoring within the first interval. Nevertheless, Group USA’s protection confirmed up, and the Individuals scored three unanswered targets to take residence their first win in opposition to Canada in almost 15 years. The sport garnered a mean of 4.4 million viewers, the most-watched non-Stanley Cup hockey sport since 2019.
United States gamers rejoice after defeating Canada within the 4 Nations Face-Off sport in Montreal on Saturday. (Graham Hughes/Canadian Press through AP)
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Now, the 2 groups will go at it as soon as once more, this time in Boston for what’s the hottest ticket on the town. The get-in worth is over $1,000, it is the best-selling NHL-sanctioned sport of the season, and followers from 28 nations are shopping for tickets to the spectacle.
Group USA has not gained back-to-back contests in opposition to Canada since that 1996 sequence. In all, Canada owns a 13-4-1 document over the Individuals, however Thursday’s 4 Nations Face-Off closing could be value 10 factors.
The puck drops at TD Backyard at 8 p.m. ET.
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