USA and Canada
Canada’s head coach Jon Cooper may have hated the final score, but he couldn’t deny the significance of Team USA’s thrilling and hard-fought 3-1 victory in the NHL 4 Nations Face-Off on Saturday night.
“The game is in a better place because last night’s game existed,” Cooper admitted on Sunday.
The showdown captivated audiences, drawing a peak of 5.4 million American viewers who tuned in to witness a long-awaited “best-on-best” tournament clash between these two hockey powerhouses—their first since 2016.
The anticipation was high, with generations of elite NHL talent facing off while representing their countries.
However, the game took on an even larger cultural and political undertone when Montreal fans booed the U.S. national anthem in protest of President Donald Trump’s tariffs on Canadian imports and his controversial proposal to make Canada the 51st U.S. state.
Then, the game exploded—literally—with three fights breaking out in the first nine seconds.
“I knew it was going to be an electric start, but I maybe didn’t expect three fights that quickly,” said Sweden’s Jesper Bratt. “The fans were already emotionally engaged, and that just took it to the next level.”
The opening face-off saw Team USA’s Matthew Tkachuk, Brady Tkachuk, and J.T. Miller each drop the gloves in rapid succession, setting a new record for the fastest fight in an NHL international game.
Matthew Tkachuk’s bout surpassed the previous mark set in the 1996 World Cup of Hockey, where his father, Keith Tkachuk, fought Team USA’s current general manager Bill Guerin just 20 seconds into a game.
Unfortunately, the younger Tkachuk suffered a lower-body injury and sat out the final 12:36 of the third period.
His status for Monday’s game against Sweden remains uncertain, according to Team USA coach Mike Sullivan.
For many players, the sheer intensity of the night set it apart from other hockey experiences.
“We’re one of the only sports that still has fighting in it.It’s a battle out there,” remarked Canadian forward Travis Konecny of the Philadelphia Flyers. When you put the flag behind it, something just flips in guys.”
Though fighting in hockey has long been debated, Cooper acknowledged its role in fueling the game’s passion.
You can say what you want about fighting, but that was the spark that lit up the game. Both teams stood their ground, and neither backed down. Then a hockey game broke out, and it was fantastic,” Cooper said. “When you get the best players in the world not just trying to score but actually checking, you’re on the edge of your seat every time there’s a scoring chance.”
The matchup also caught the attention of fans beyond the hockey world, as Team USA’s Jack Hughes pointed out.
“After the game, you see all the buzz. People were talking about how other leagues handle their All-Star breaks, and then you see the Tkachuks going crazy,” Hughes said. “It’s been an amazing event for hockey, surpassing expectations for both players and fans.”
U.S. center Vincent Trocheck of the New York Rangers emphasized the tournament’s intensity compared to the typical NHL All-Star Game.
“When you see the emotion and how much guys care about winning and representing their countries, you realize this is something special,” Trocheck said. “It’s not an All-Star Game, not a Pro Bowl—it’s like playoff hockey. It’s Game 7 every night.”
The intensity of the USA-Canada clash resonated with other teams in the tournament as well. Sweden’s head coach, Sam Hallam, applauded the intense emotions driven by the historic rivalry, while Finland forward Erik Haula described it as “a fantastic hockey game between top-tier players.
For Team USA coach Mike Sullivan, the impact of the game goes beyond just one night.
As the tournament continues, Canada faces a must-win battle against Finland on Monday at 1 p.m. ET at TD Garden. The U.S. will take on Sweden at 8 p.m. as they look to keep their momentum heading into the 4 Nations championship final in Boston on Thursday night.
