Canada defeats U.S. in overtime to win 4 Nations Face-Off final
The country cemented its legacy as a nation that fights for victory at all costs
After an upsetting semi-final loss to the Americans, Canada came back and defeated the U.S. in the championship game of the 4 Nations Face-Off. (Claudia Culley)
In lieu of the NHL All-Star Game, the 2025 4 Nations Face-Off tournament delivered an unforgettable final — one that will be remembered for years.
From booed anthems to social media posts from U.S. President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, the game struck a nerve that resonated across Canada, the U.S., and beyond.
After a crushing 3-1 semi-final loss to the Americans, Canada responded in the championship game with a rematch that lived up to its billing. It was a battle of the immovable object versus the unstoppable force, two hockey titans at their peak. According to the NHL, the game garnered 16.1 million viewers across North America, becoming the second-most watched hockey game of the decade.
In the opening period, Nova Scotia native Nathan MacKinnon put Canada on the board with just the fourth shot of the game, making it 1-0. MacKinnon, a key offensive player for Canada, was later named tournament MVP. His snap shot from the blue line weaved through traffic and zipped past U.S. goaltender Connor Hellebuyck.
The Americans responded quickly. Brady Tkachuk found the puck in front of the crease, assisted by the team’s captain Austin Matthews, and tapped it in, sneaking past Canadian goaltender Jordan Binnington to tie the game. The TD Garden crowd in Boston erupted as the home team evened the score.
In the second period, Jake Sanderson — playing in place of the injured Charlie McAvoy — capitalized on a poor pass from Canada’s Colton Parayko. Sanderson fired a shot past Binnington, who was out of position, giving the U.S. its first lead of the game at 2-1.
With six minutes left in the period, Canada responded. Mitch Marner entered the zone alongside teammate Sam Bennett, executing a crisscross maneuver to shake off defenders. Marner found a lane and fed Bennett, who fired a high shot over Hellebuyck’s shoulder to tie the game at 2-2.
Regulation ended with the score still tied, sending the game to overtime. For those who doubted Binnington after a few shaky performances earlier in the tournament, he proved his worth in the extra frame. The Canadian goaltender came up with several clutch saves, starting with a point-blank stop on Matthews. Binnington denied Matthews again moments later with a glove save on a rising wrist shot bound for the top corner.
The defining moment came when Binnington made a stunning sliding glove save to rob Tkachuk of what seemed like a sure game-winner. With the net wide open, Tkachuk fired, but Binnington reached across and snatched the puck out of the air, leaving the arena in awe.
Then, with the game on the line, Canada’s superstar delivered. Connor McDavid — dubbed “McJesus” by fans — sealed the victory with a perfectly placed wrist shot past Hellebuyck, securing a 3-2 win for Canada. Marner, who had a stellar game, set up the winning goal by retrieving the puck deep in the U.S. zone and finding McDavid alone in the slot. McDavid wasted no time, roofing the puck into the top corner.
McDavid was named player of the game, Sidney Crosby added yet another gold medal to his resume, and the tournament concluded with the feeling of a mini-Olympics.
This win fired up both the team and the nation as the countdown to the next Winter Olympics begins. What started as a gimmicky mid-season exhibition tournament turned into a worldwide spectacle between two historic rivals. On that night, Canada — the birthplace of hockey — proved its identity once again, cementing its legacy as a nation that fights for victory at all costs.
