Team Canada are the champions of the 2025 4 Nations Face-Off. And it happened in what could be considered a passing of the torch moment.
Nearly 15 years to the day after Sidney Crosby’s golden goal at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics, Connor McDavid scored from the slot 8:18 into overtime to give the Canadians the victory in front of 17,850 at TD Garden.
Team Canada emptied their bench quickly in celebration and tossed their gloves and sticks high into the air — a moment reminiscent of a Game 7 Stanley Cup celebration, which is what many players suiting up for the game said the final felt like.
“I know it’s just a quick tournament, it’s not an Olympic gold medal,” McDavid said to ESPN’s Emily Kaplan after the game, “but it means the world to our group. Everybody battled so hard.”
“Happy for Connor to get that goal,” Crosby said. “He’s an incredible player and he stepped up big when we needed it.”
McDavid’s tournament-winning tally came after goaltender Jordan Binnington robbed Team USA on several huge chances in a row during OT, including on American captain Auston Matthews. USA has not won a best-on-best hockey tournament since 1996.
“This sucks,” Brady Tkachuk said. ”I thought this team deserved more. We had chances there to finish it off. This has been my favorite hockey memory, this team, just playing with this group, and this is going to give us nice motivation in (three) years time.”
McDavid was named player of the game while Nathan MacKinnon was named MVP of the tournament. The victory marked the Canadians seventh NHL international title oin nine tries.
“A lot of beers,” MacKinnon said on how Canada would celebrate. “A lot a lot of beers so I need to get back there… Definitely plural.”
After Canada fell to the United States on their home turf on Saturday — a fight-filled 3-1 loss — MacKinnon quickly silenced the American crowd after finding paydirt 4:48 into the first period. MacKinnon’s seeing-eye puck hit the back of the after find its way through a mess of traffic in front of Connor Hellebuyck.
Brady Tkachuk would answer shortly before the first period closed, chipping a puck past Binnington and unleashing an epic celebration.
USA defenseman Jake Sanderson would give the United States a 2-1 lead in the second period as Brady Tkachuk again created in front of the crease. Canada’s Sam Bennett would roof a short side shot past Hellebuyck to tie the game at 2.
After a scoreless third period, the game was decided in a nail-biting overtime session as fans in Boston chanted “U-S-A!” and “Johnny Hockey.”
“You saw the hockey on display,” Crosby said. “It was pretty incredible.”
“It’s a great game, it’s a great sport,” McDavid added. “I hope we put on a good show these last couple days and gained some fans.”
