Connor McDavid scored the overtime winner to propel Canada to a 3-2 victory over the United States in the final of the 4 Nations Face-Off in Boston on Thursday.

McDavid, who was named the game’s most valuable player, lifted a wrist shot past the glove hand of USA goaltender Connor Hellebuyck at 8:18 of the extra period to give Canada the win in a rematch of Saturday’s fight-filled affair when the two sides last met, during the tournament’s round robin.

“It means a lot to us,” McDavid said. He ended up with three goals and five points in the international best-on-best tournament. “We started months and months ago and then it all came together.”

McDavid’s golden goal came from in front of the net after he received a sharp pass from Mitch Marner.

Jordan Binnington, who had an up and down performance in four games, was spectacular in Canada’s net. He stopped 31 of 33 shots, including a number of five-alarm chances in the third period and overtime.

He outduelled Connor Hellebuyck, a Vezina Trophy winner who has been almost impenetrable in the U.S. net. Hellebuyck stopped 24 of the 27 attempts he faced.

“I tried to stay in the moment,” Binnington, whose day job is tending net for the St. Louis Blues, said. “I really had a flood of emotions. I felt terrible after we lost that game to them on Saturday. You can’t write a better story.”

The rivalry between hockey’s two powerhouse nations kicked off during Saturday’s fight fest, a 3-1 win for the Americans, and was renewed again in Thursday’s final. Political tensions between the two nations gave the game an added layer of intrigue and perceived importance.

Earlier in the day, United States President Donald Trump called the U.S. squad to offer support. Toronto’s CN Tower was bathed in red and white. The Empire State Building was lit up in red, white and blue.

When the puck dropped, there was pushing and shoving but there were no fights. Players on both sides were rocked by hits but did not retaliate. It was clean, hard hockey and the game was too important for that. This is a dress rehearsal for next year’s Winter Games in Italy.

The NHL’s brightest stars were on the ice. Between them that represented 19 combined Stanley Cup championships and 48 individual awards. The game was played at just that level of excellence. There was soft booing of the Canadian national anthem before puck drop, but nothing close to what was heard when the Star Spangled Banner played in Montreal in Round No. 1 of the rivalry series on the weekend.

Nathan MacKinnon scored his fourth goal at the Four Nations a little less than five minutes after the opening puck drop. The Colorado Avalanche star was named the tournament MVP.

MacKinnon circled in front of the net and fired a 48-foot wrist shot past Hellebuyck to give Canada a 1-0 lead. It came on assists from Thomas Harley and Sam Reinhart.

The Americans tied it late in the first when Brady Tkachuk found the back of the net during a scrum in front of Binnington. It was Tkachuk’s third goal of the tournament. It was 1-1 after 20 minutes.

The Americans went ahead 2-1 when Jake Sanderson snapped a puck past Binnington with 12:28 remaining in the second. Auston Matthews and Zach Werenski recorded assists. Canada’s Sam Bennett then evened the score at 2-2 six minutes before the intermission.

Each team had hair-raising chances in the third but didn’t score. Then into 5-on-5 overtime it went.

The Canadians celebrated after the winning goal, then received medals and stood while O Canada was played. NHL commissioner Gary Bettman presented the 4 Nations Trophy, which was followed by a brief burst of fireworks.

About 45 minutes later, Sidney Crosby, Team Canada’s captain, sat at a podium and was peppered with questions. He is 37 now and has pretty much seen it all in hockey.

As McDavid spoke, Crosby, his hero growing up, was surrounded by journalists across from him.

“He’s a big-game player,” Crosby, who scored the overtime winner against the Americans in the gold medal game of the 2010 Winter Olympics, said of McDavid. “He has proven that throughout his career. It seems really fitting that he got the winning goal tonight. He has that ability every night.”

Marty Klinkenberg
The Globe and Mail, February 20, 2025