This past weekend, hockey fans were left wondering if a stadium rattled with antagonizing boos during a national anthem could be a secret pre-game ritual to guarantee victory. The United States defeated Canada 3–1 deep in enemy territory Feb. 15 at the Bell Centre in Montreal. However, when defending their honor on the homefront on Feb. 21, the United States fell short 2–3 in overtime during the NHL’s 4 Nations Face-Off tournament championship at TD Garden in Boston.
A unique opportunity for NHL players from the United States, Canada, Finland, and Sweden to represent their nations, the tournament was a marketable success. The series ended in a historic matchup that broke ESPN network streaming records for the largest audience of any hockey game or non-NFL event with a colossal 10.4 million viewers. Given its substantial traction, the game was called “bigger” than the Stanley Cup playoffs by Canadian defenseman P.K. Subban. The rematch between the United States and Canada, a rivalry like no other in the world of hockey, even drew the attention of both nations’ leaders: President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau personally issued support to their respective teams.
Although it was a 4 Nations Face-Off, the other two teams’ performances became practically insignificant due to the infamous international hockey rivalry between the United States and Canada, which is now exacerbated by growing political tensions. Finland fell flat with a 1–2 record in the tournament, while Sweden had an admirable showing, taking reigning team Canada into overtime and defeating the United States 2–1 on Monday.
Before the first face-off between Canada and the United States, the political tensions surrounding the tournament fueled competitive banter between fans. As soon as the game started, viewers were entertained by three fights in the first nine seconds. Two of these were carried out by the Tkachuk brothers, Matthew and Brady, who have become infamous for their old-fashioned, physical play. Their distinctive style emulates their father, hockey icon Keith Tkachuk, who played in the NHL and four times for Team USA on the Olympic stage.
Having galvanized American fans to crash the Harvard Canadian Club’s screening of the game, I was extremely relieved when the United States defeated Canada in the semi-finals. Not only did the win spare me a great deal of torment, but it also secured the team a position in the final match of the tournament. Canada’s 5–3 win over Finland to advance to the championship sparked anticipation for the final game of the series—another rematch of the age-old rivalry. Take arguably the most intense fans of any professional sport, add an element of national pride into the mix of their competition, and you have just brewed the perfect conditions for a cinematic match-up.
As expected, both teams came out with a dynamic start in the first period, and even to an untrained eye, it was apparent a close match was ahead. Canada drew first blood as Nathan MacKinnon of the Colorado Avalanche scored a goal from the top of the slot. MacKinnon was a valuable asset to Canada, scoring four goals in four games; after the tournament, he was named the overall MVP. Despite their initial deficit, announcers reassured supporters of Team USA that they had given up the first goal in every previous game in the tournament. Sure enough, fan-favorite Brady Tkachuk of the Ottawa Senators followed shortly with a game-leveling wrist-shot goal before the end of the first period.
Tkachuk’s teammate from the Senators, Jake Sanderson, opened the second period with a snap shot goal, providing the U.S. with a one-point advantage. The only power play of the match occurred during the second period. Team USA was successful in their penalty kill; just as the predominantly American crowd began to regain energy and confidence in their team, Florida Panthers Sam Bennet equalized the score for Canada with a wrist-shot goal.
The third period was characterized by twenty minutes of anxiety-inducing chaos as both teams battled to keep the puck out of their net. Despite the unease, a moment of true hockey magic occurred as fans erupted into chants of “JOHNNY HOCKEY… JOHNNY HOCKEY” in dedication to Johnny Gaudreau. American NHL star and previous player of the Columbus Blue Jackets and Boston College, Gaudreau was tragically killed earlier this year. His name filled the arena as the game came to the end of regulation play.
In the high stakes of overtime, there seemed no better player to secure the title for Canada than the captain of the Edmonton Oilers, Canadian national treasure, and poster child of the NHL, Connor McDavid. After a series of phenomenal saves from the St. Louis Blues goalie, Jordan Bennington, the game came to a cinematic end as McDavid scored the picture-perfect game-winning goal for Canada in OT. Whether you’re a fan of McDavid’s or not, this legendary moment was an undeniable demonstration of his generational talent that further cemented his position as a legend in hockey history.
This tournament provided a glimpse at what the NHL is calling the next “golden era” of hockey on both national and international stages. Fans and players have developed an exhilarating dynamic, both in and out of arenas that continues to grow the game. Whether you were lucky enough to secure tickets before they reached astronomical prices or you watched the game in a group of students huddled around a Macbook at Brain Break, the 4 Nations Face-Off series invited many into an exhilarating time for international hockey competition ahead of the 2026 Winter Olympics.
Megan Legault ’28 (mlegault@college.harvard.edu) will humbly acknowledge that, as a loyal Montreal Canadiens fan, she selected the wrong team for this tournament.