The 4 Nations Face-Off lived up to expectations.
It achieved its primary goal – to promote the sport of hockey. The tournament concluded in the best possible way with Canada securing a 3-2 overtime victory over the United States on Wednesday night at TD Garden.
“I just hope Canada’s proud, because every player in that room is proud to be a Canadian,” said Canada coach Jon Cooper. “Did we need a win? Not just our team, but Canada needed a win, and the players carried that weight and took it seriously. This one was different. This wasn’t just a win for themselves. This was a win for over 40 million people. The guys knew it, and they delivered.”
Nathan MacKinnon, who was named the tournament MVP, agreed.
“I don’t know much about politics, but we know USA-Canada is a big rivalry right now, and obviously we’re facing each other in a sport. Football’s over, and basketball isn’t quite in season, so I think this tournament gained a lot of attention. It’s exciting to be part of,” he said. “Representing your country and helping grow the sport, we did a great job. We were all naturally invested and it was definitely a cool event to be part of.”
It also wasn’t surprising that Connor McDavid scored the game-winning goal at 8:18 of overtime. While he wasn’t particularly impressive during regulation, all he needed was a split second to shine as the hero. Throughout the tournament, he consistently came through when it mattered most.
“Connor McDavid, clearly one of, if not the best player in the world, and I can say this about all the guys, they all played with their skill, but they all had the mindset of fourth-liners,” Cooper remarked. “There were no egos. Guys like Connor, who could easily demand ice time or any other special treatment, never did. When you have leaders and players with his level of talent, and they cheer just as loud for the guys playing in front of him while he’s off the ice, it speaks volumes about how exceptional he is. That’s what made this team special.”
Mitch Marner also played a crucial role, delivering two key assists for the winning side. Cooper made a wise decision by placing Marner on McDavid’s line.
“Mitch had great energy tonight, and that kid can make plays, as we saw,” Cooper said. “He just needed one opportunity to make a play, and he took it. It came down to a gut feeling, and I felt those three could pull it off – and they did.”
For those questioning Cooper’s choice of goaltender for the tournament, the coach confidently stuck with his pick. Binnington was outstanding in overtime, making five critical saves, including a massive stop on USA’s Auston Matthews that could’ve easily been the game-winner.
“The position that faced the most scrutiny going into this tournament was goaltending,” said Cooper. “For me, it was simple – you’ve got your guy, and you stick with him. I never had a single doubt about pulling him, taking him out of a game, or losing confidence in him. His ability to rise to the occasion, especially in big moments, was key. When overtime came, and we needed him the most, he made the saves he was supposed to, and then a few others he wasn’t expected to. He saved his best for last. That’s what winners do, and there was never any doubt in my mind that I was going to back a winner.”
Canada’s next goal is gold in Italy.
“It’s immeasurable,” Cooper said as the focus now shifts to the Winter Olympics. “Being around this group and seeing what they can do, how they can play, and the relationships they’ve built – which is a huge but often overlooked part of the whole process – has us that much further ahead. We talked about it tonight, how much this tournament will help us as a group moving forward, and me personally. It was a massive success all around. Now, moving on to Milan, this was a significant step forward.”