For the first time since the 2010 Vancouver Olympics, the U.S. and Canada will battle for an international senior men’s hockey championship as they meet in the 4 Nations Face-Off final Thursday night at TD Garden in Boston.
This tournament, featuring the U.S., Canada, Sweden, and Finland, previews the 2026 Milan Cortina Olympics, where NHL players are expected to return to the Winter Games for the first time since 2014. The Americans and Canadians each posted 2-1 records in round-robin play to reach the title game.
Last Saturday, the U.S. ended Canada’s 15-year unbeaten streak in best-on-best tournament play, rallying for a 3-1 win in Montreal. That snapped Sidney Crosby’s 26-game international win streak and served as a reminder of the U.S.’s potential. Canada, led by Crosby and Connor McDavid, looks to avenge that loss and claim supremacy ahead of the next Olympic cycle.
The U.S. boasts an explosive offense powered by Auston Matthews, Jack Eichel, and Matthew Tkachuk, while Canada counters with McDavid, Nathan MacKinnon, and Mitch Marner. Goaltending could be the difference, with Connor Hellebuyck expected to start for the Americans against Canada’s Jordan Binnington.
With both teams eyeing bragging rights and momentum toward 2026, expect an intense, physical showdown between the sport’s biggest rivals. The puck drop is at 8 p.m. ET, live on ESPN.
Source: ESPN