The confrontation of the 4 nations will end exactly how the National Hockey League attracted it: a US-Canadá final.
The two squads fought on Saturday in what was their first meeting in the best format in nine years, and a strident crowd of Montreal that booed “The Star-Spangled Banner” received an immediate gift with three fights in the first nine seconds, including two in the first three.
The rivalry extends for a long time, but with political tensions between the two countries, it is now hotter than ever.
Before immersing ourselves in the final of Thursday night, let’s take a look at the history of rivalry and how we get to where we are today.
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Brandon Hagel de Canada, on the left, fight against Matthew Tkachuk of the United States during the first period of the set of confrontation of the 4 nations in Montreal on Saturday. (Graham Hughes/Canadian Press through AP)
The young World Cups have been more pleasant for the Americans in recent years: each of the last four gold medal games between the two countries have gone to Americans, more recently in 2021. However, this is the great league.
The first meeting between the two countries in the best format was in the 1976 Canada Cup, which the Canada team won, 4-2; The Americans did not get their first victory over their northern neighbors to the 1996 Hockey World Cup after losing seven of their first eight meetings and tied in the other.
The United States won the World Cup of that year, taking home the best series of three against Canada, but since then, it has been mostly Canadian dominance again.
Upon entering the confrontation of the 4 nations, Canada was 6-1 against the Americans from 1998 to 2016, and three of those victories were absolute blows to the United States.
Canada took home the 2002 Olympic gold medal in Salt Lake City on Americans, but more famous, Sydney Crosby’s gold goal eight years later also reached the expense of the US team. Uu. In front of a multitude of Vancouver.
The Canada striker, Sidney Crosby, obtains the winning goal of the game in extra time against the United States during the match for the Male Hockey Gold Medal at the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympic Games. (Kyle Terada-USA Today Sports)
Four years later, Canada again defeated the United States in Olympic semifinals. The only victory of the United States in the aforementioned period occurred during the group game of the 2010 Olympic Games, and its last meeting before last week was a 4-2 victory in Canada in the 2016 Hockey World Cup 2016 In Toronto. Then, it has been a long time since the stars and stripes have had the rights to blush.
However, the best players in the countries would be in pause after problems with the NHL, programming, travel and COVID-19. But a year ago, the NHL commissioner, Gary Bettman, announced that the new confrontation of 4 nations was born and the NHL players would return to the Olympic Games in 2026 and 2030.
However, some skepticism occurred when this tournament approached: “This tournament is false.
But that leads us to the present, where almost a decade of lost opportunity plus a heated political landscape has led to the best rivalry in hockey to a new level, and that criticism no longer exists.
USA
As of this month, in response to the imminent tariffs of President Donald Trump against Canada on goods, Canadian crowds have addressed the United States National Anthem during sporting events in which an American team is visiting. When Team USA played his first 4 -nations game last Thursday against Finland, one would have thought that the game was playing abroad, even though he was in Montreal.
Players and fans represent the US national anthem. Uu. Before the first period of the set of confrontation of the 4 nations between Canada and the United States in Montreal on Saturday. (Christinne Muschi/Canadian Press through AP)
Fast progress until Saturday night, when the strident crowd booed “The Star-Spangled Banner” at all times, and then the gloves threw themselves right in the opening confrontation between the American star Matthew Tkachuk and Brandon Hagel de Team Canada. In the next confrontation, Matthew’s brother, Brady, fought against Sam Bennett, who is Matthew’s teammate for the Florida Panthers. Then, six seconds later, after a goalkeeper strike, Jt Miller put his hands with Colton Parayko.
The already electric crowd was on fire, and even more when the McDavid Connor of Canada opened the scoring in the first period. However, the US team defense appeared. UU., And the Americans scored three unanswered goals to take home their first victory against Canada in almost 15 years. The game obtained an average of 4.4 million spectators, the most watched cup stanley hockey game since 2019.
The United States players celebrate after defeating Canada in the set of confrontation of the 4 nations in Montreal on Saturday. (Graham Hughes/Canadian Press through AP)
Now, the two teams will do it once again, this time in Boston so it is the most popular ticket in the city. The income price is more than $ 1,000, it is the best -selling game sanctioned by the NHL of the season, and fans from 28 countries are buying tickets for the show.
Team USA has not won consecutive competitions against Canada since that 1996 series. In total, Canada has a record of 13-4-1 over Americans, but the final of the 4-nations confrontation on Thursday can be worth 10 points.
The album falls on TD Garden at 8 pm et.
