Prime Minister Justin Trudeau posted on X, "You can’t take our country — and you can’t take our game." (Photo: The Canadian Press)
Canada defeated its archrival the United States 3-2 in overtime in the 4 Nations Face-Off final on Thursday night in what was an emotionally-charged affair for players and fans alike.
The rematch between the two sides was intense, although it did not consist of three fights in the opening nine seconds, as the preliminary round game in Montreal did last Saturday, a 3-1 win for the Americans. Connor McDavid scored the game winner, while Nathan MacKinnon and Sam Bennett scored in regulation for Canada. Brady Tkachuk and Jake Sanderson replied for the U.S. The Canadian national anthem was booed loudly ahead of the game. Jeers rang around TD Garden when Chantal Kreviazuk began "O Canada" despite a request by the arena's public address announcer for respect.
Meanwhile, "The Star-Spangled Banner" was then sung in full voice by the sold-out building for the championship game of an event that's a table-setter for the NHL's Olympic return in 2026. Following the victory, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, saying, "You can’t take our country — and you can’t take our game."