The Great North has the honor of hoisting the cup for the first-ever 4 Nations Face-Off as Team Canada defeats Team USA in a 3-2 overtime battle.
This is the first Four Nations Tournament, which fittingly pitted four nations (the United States, Canada, Finland, and Sweden) against each other in lieu of an All-Star Game this season. Each nation’s team faced off in a round-robin tournament, with the winner receiving a medal, cash bonus, and trophy. The games took place at Boston’s TD Garden and Montreal’s Bell Centre.
The tournament began with Canada and Sweden battling in an overtime thriller, decided by a goal from Pittsburgh Penguins legend and Team Canada captain Sidney Crosby.
The next day, the United States dominated Finland en route to a 6-1 final score, led by brothers Matthew and Brady Tkachuk, who each scored two goals.
After one blowout, the tournament returned to a close match, with Finland, led by defenseman Aleksander Barkov, defeating Sweden 4-3 in overtime. Dallas Stars forward and former Penguin Mikael Granlund scored the winning goal.
Next, fans got a preview of the final when the United States defeated Canada 3-1, powered by two goals from Tampa Bay Lightning winger (and another former Penguin) Jake Guentzel.
Two relatively unimportant matches followed, as Canada defeated Finland 5-3 and the United States fell to Sweden 2-1.
Canada and the United States then faced off in the Four Nations Final in Boston.
Team Canada was a well-oiled machine throughout the tournament, powered by its top line of Sidney Crosby, Nathan MacKinnon, and Connor McDavid, all of whom have won the Hart Trophy as the NHL’s most valuable player. The starting line was supplemented by Mitch Marner, Brayden Point, Sam Reinhart, and Brad Marchand for depth. The defense was no weakness, as the team was anchored by 2022 Conn Smythe winner and MacKinnon’s Avalanche teammate Cale Makar, Drew Doughty, Colton Parayko, and another Avalanche star, Devon Toews. In net was St. Louis Blues goaltender Jordan Binnington, backed up by Adin Hill and Sam Montembeault.
Team USA was equally star-powered. Led by Toronto Maple Leafs and Team USA captain Auston Matthews, the starting line also featured both Tkachuk brothers. Behind them were Jake Guentzel, Jack Hughes, Dylan Larkin, J.T. Miller, Pittsburgh native Vincent Trocheck, and veteran Chris Kreider. To win the trophy, Team Canada would have to get past Brock Faber, Adam Fox, Noah Hanifin, Jake Sanderson, Jaccob Slavin, Charlie McAvoy, and a last-minute addition, Quinn Hughes. If the puck got past them, opposing forwards had to beat goaltender Connor Hellebuyck, a two-time Vezina Trophy winner for the Winnipeg Jets and the favorite to repeat in 2025.
The puck dropped to a raucous crowd in Boston cheering on Team USA, but many Canadian fans made the trip to see their team play.
The story of the game was evident in the pregame tributes. This year marks 45 years since the iconic “Miracle on Ice,” when Team USA upset the Soviet Union in the gold medal game of the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid. To celebrate, Team USA’s captain from that game, Mike Eruzione, was named honorary captain for the red, white, and blue. Eruzione walked onto the ice before puck drop wearing a No. 13 jersey to honor Johnny Gaudreau, who died on Aug. 29 after being struck by a drunk driver. Team USA hung Gaudreau’s jersey in their locker room throughout the Four Nations tournament as motivation. Canada’s honorary captain was “The Great One,” Wayne Gretzky.
In the first period, Canada opened the scoring with a Nathan MacKinnon wrist shot into the upper corner. Team USA responded with a goal from defenseman Jake Sanderson off a fortunate rebound. In the second period, Brady Tkachuk gave the United States a 2-1 lead before Sam Bennett tied the game. The score remained tied, sending the game to overtime.
The story of the game was the incredible play of both goaltenders. Binnington and Hellebuyck were outstanding, but Binnington shined on the big stage, posting a .939 save percentage on 33 shots, including several unbelievable saves in overtime.
Auston Matthews had a wide-open look on a feed from Guentzel that barely tipped off Binnington’s glove. Guentzel had another golden opportunity from the left crease but missed just wide. Binnington also caught a slapshot from the edge of the offensive zone to neutralize Team USA’s attack. In the other zone, Team USA made the mistake of giving the best player in the world a prime opportunity. This wasn’t the first time it had happened. Many remember the 2010 Olympic hockey final in Vancouver, where 23-year-old Sidney Crosby etched his name into history by scoring the game-winning goal against Team USA in overtime, securing gold for Canada on home ice.
And tonight, nearly 15 years to the day after the so-called “Golden Goal,” Connor McDavid received a perfect pass in the slot from Mitch Marner and Cale Makar. There wasn’t much Hellebuyck could do as the puck sailed past him into the net, winning the game and the Four Nations tournament for Team Canada.
Overall, the Four Nations was a massive success. It featured iconic goals, highlight-reel plays, intense battles, triumphs, and heartbreak. Compared to the typically lackluster All-Star Game, the tournament was a breath of fresh air. The added element of national pride gave the games an intensity rarely seen, especially given the lack of international hockey tournaments in recent years.
