Hockey: Canada defeats USA in overtime to win 4 Nations face-off title

Canada triumphed over the United States in a thrilling overtime finish on Thursday, securing a 3-2 victory to claim the first-ever 4 Nations Face-Off hockey tournament at TD Garden. 

Connor McDavid delivered the game-winning goal, capping off what had become a fiercely contested and politically charged event.

The midseason tournament, featuring stars from Canada, Finland, Sweden, and the U.S., marked the most significant international hockey competition in years. With NHL players set to return to the Winter Olympics for the first time since 2014, Thursday’s game was widely viewed as a potential preview of the 2026 Milan-Cortina Games.

“I know it’s just a quick tournament and it’s not an Olympic gold medal or anything like that but it means the world to our group,” McDavid said on ESPN after the win. “We worked so hard all week. It’s special.”

Canada struck first early in the opening period when Nathan MacKinnon fired a wrist shot through traffic, beating American goaltender Connor Hellebuyck. The U.S. responded late in the period as Auston Matthews’ missed wraparound attempt landed in front of Brady Tkachuk, who capitalized to level the score.

The Americans took their first lead midway through the second period when Jake Sanderson buried a snapshot following a deflection. But Canada found an equalizer minutes later, as Mitch Marner set up Sam Bennett for a wrist shot past Hellebuyck.

McDavid sealed the victory 8:18 into overtime, blasting a one-timer off a Marner assist. Despite his heroics, the Edmonton Oilers superstar was self-critical of his earlier performance.

“All that was going through my mind was keep going,” McDavid said postgame. “I struggled all night but these guys played great and we found a way.”

The final capped the first best-on-best men’s hockey tournament in nearly a decade, replacing the NHL’s traditional All-Star Game this season. With Olympic participation having been denied in 2018 and 2022, the 4 Nations tournament became a rare opportunity for players to compete on the international stage. The intensity on the ice reflected that, with fans and executives alike praising the high quality of play.

However, the event unfolded against the backdrop of rising political tensions between the U.S. and Canada. President Donald Trump’s recent remarks, in which he suggested the U.S. would absorb Canada as the “51st state” and proposed Wayne Gretzky as its leader, stirred controversy. 

Trump has also threatened economic pressure on Canada, leading to increased hostility at sporting events, including the booing of the American national anthem in recent games.

The tensions boiled over in last Saturday’s U.S.-Canada matchup in Montreal, where three fights erupted immediately after the puck drop. Matthew Tkachuk, Brady Tkachuk, and J.T. Miller later admitted to planning the altercations in a group chat beforehand. Brandon Hagel, who fought Matthew Tkachuk in that game, dismissed such planning, saying, “I think we’re out there playing for the flag, not the cameras.”

Matthew Tkachuk fired back, quipping: “Maybe their team doesn’t like each other if they don’t have group chats.”

Amid the off-ice drama, Bill Guerin, Team USA’s general manager, revealed he had invited Trump to attend Thursday’s final. While Trump did not make an appearance, he called in to rally the American team and took to Truth Social earlier in the day to taunt Canada.

“I will be calling the American team 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,” Trump wrote.

The Canadian embassy declined to comment, while Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, whom Trump has repeatedly mocked as a “governor,” was in attendance for Saturday’s game.

With the 4 Nations Face-Off now concluded, attention shifts toward the 2026 Winter Olympics, where NHL players will reunite on the international stage. For now, however, Canada celebrates its latest hockey triumph—one won not just on the ice, but amid a charged political atmosphere.

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