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Canada needed that.
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It’s that simple.
Loud cheers were heard from coast to coast on Thursday night after Connor McDavid fired home the winner to give Team Canada a 3-2 victory over the United States of America in the final of the inaugural 4 Nations Face-Off held at TD Garden in Boston.
Sidney Crosby, Canada’s captain, told reporters he didn’t know initially that McDavid’s shot had beaten American goalie Connor Hellebuyck of the Winnipeg Jets.
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But, as that moment happened, you could feel the torch being passed from Crosby, the architect of one of the greatest goals in Canadian hockey history in 2010 at the Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver, to McDavid, who will now carry the flag for this hockey-crazed nation.
Hockey isn’t supposed to be about politics, but this win had that theme written all over it. Winnipeg-born singer Chantal Kreviazuk didn’t help matters by arbitrarily changing the words to O Canada to send a message and then botching the tune completely.
This game was played under a political backdrop with U.S. President Donald Trump threatening to charge tariffs on Canadian goods and take over our country while referring to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as the “governor” of the 51st state.
Trudeau watched the game with every-day Canadians in a bar in Ottawa.
“You can’t take our country — and you can’t take our game,” said Trudeau in a post on the social media site X after Canada’s comeback win.
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Canadian coach Jon Cooper, who will now return to his day job with the Tampa Bay Lightning, summed this up best.
The players knew what this victory meant in sports bars and living rooms across the country, where people gathered to witness this epic win.
“I just hope Canada is proud because every player in that room is proud to be a Canadian,” Cooper said. “Did we need a win? Not only our team, but Canada needed a win. The players bared that on their shoulders and they took it seriously.
“This one was different. This wasn’t a win for themselves. This was a win for 40-plus million people and the guys knew it, and they delivered.”
They delivered dramatically and the best player in the world stepped up when it was needed the most.
“That finish was so special for us, for the country, for our families,” said Canadian goalie Jordan Binnington, who made some huge stops to secure the win. “It’s pretty surreal.”
Unreal.
You couldn’t have scripted a better finish than McDavid scoring the winner and it set the table for the National Hockey League’s return to the Winter Olympics Games in Italy in a year.
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“That’s a confidence-builder knowing that we can play and we can beat anybody,” McDavid said. “That American team is as good as you’re going to find. They’re solid all around, but we just found a way in a tough building just to get it done. It was special.”
But McDavid wanted to throw water on any idea that the torch had been passed to him by Crosby.
“Well, I think you’re gonna see Sid in 12 months. So I don’t see a passing of any torch,” McDavid said.
OK, it doesn’t matter because the Canadians put out the American fire.
In the hours before Canada’s sweet victory over the boys from south of the border, Trump, the commander-in-chief, called the troops in their dressing room to wish them well and give them marching orders.
“You guys are really talented,” Trump told the players as general manager Bill Guerin carried his phone around the room. “I have great respect for hockey players and I’m a hockey fan. The talent and the skill you have is crazy. Just go out and have a good time tonight.
“I just want to wish you a lot of luck. You really are a skilled group of people and it’s an honour to talk to you. And get out there, there is no pressure whatsoever. You just go out and have a good time. We love America. We love you guys and we’ll be watching tonight. Bring it home.”
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Trump’s speech failed to lead to what many thought would have been the biggest hockey victory on American soil since a group of unknown players from the United States captured the gold medal at the 1980 Winter Olympic Games that were held in Lake Placid.
Unfortunately, Canada spoiled the celebration on the shores of where the Boston Tea Party was held.
Trump had stated in the morning that maybe someday Canada will be the 51st state and now maybe we know why: Because if you can’t beat them, join them.
As Cooper noted in the morning if Canada and the U.S. were to join forces — and he WAS kidding — that “wow, we’d have one hell of a hockey team.”
We’re doing fine on our own.
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