5 Reasons Why Team Canada Won the 2025 4 Nations Face-Off
It was a great day—a great several days, actually—for hockey.
Boy, did the 2025 4 Nations Face-Off deliver.
The round-robin event wound its way through six skill-sopped games before concluding with an overtime classic at TD Garden in Boston, where Team Canada seized bragging rights and a shiny trophy with a 3-2 defeat of Team USA.
Needless to say, the B/R hockey staff was swept up in the giddiness of the championship round and put together a definitive list of reasons—beyond simply scoring more goals in 60-plus minutes—why the Canadians were celebrating at night's end.
Take a look at what we came up with.
Connor McDavid Steps Up in Biggest Moment
1 of 5
There aren't many items remaining on Connor McDavid's punch list.
But he took care of a big one on Thursday night, scoring the tournament-winning overtime goal in his first big moment with a Maple Leaf crest on his sweater.
It was a fitting torch-pass from veteran legend and team captain Sidney Crosby, whose OT winner clinched gold in the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver.
McDavid had been invisible for much of the game and mishandled the puck on several occasions in the offensive zone.
However, the 28-year-old made no mistake on the decisive sequence, when Cale Makar kept the puck in at the blue line and sent it to Mitch Marner, who found McDavid in the slot for the one-timer that beat Connor Hellebuyck.
"It's not an Olympic gold but it means the world to our group. It was special," McDavid said. "I was not very good all night. All that was going through my mind was 'Just keep going.'"
And after losing Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final last summer in Florida, his fans from Edmonton (and elsewhere) hope he's got another bounce-back in him.
Jordan Binnington Raises His Game
2 of 5
There's something about a big game in Boston, and Jordan Binnington certainly enjoys them.
The St. Louis Blues goaltender had already put a bold bullet point on his resume with a Game 7 defeat of the host Bruins in the 2019 Stanley Cup Final. And he added another huge one on Thursday with a 31-save performance on the same ice.
But they weren't just any saves.
The 31-year-old made six of those stops in the OT session, including several of the five-alarm variety when a Team USA victory seemed inevitable.
He stoned Jake Guentzel from the slot. He robbed Auston Matthews in the crease. And he flat-out abused Brady Tkachuk with his glove near the right goal post.
"He saved the game for Canada on a number of occasions," ESPN analyst Mark Messier said. "The team management never doubted him and he proved them right."
Thomas Harley Parachutes In from Mexico
3 of 5
Thomas Harley didn't expect to be a factor for Canada in the 4 Nations Face-Off.
The Dallas Stars defenseman was primed for a two-week vacation in Cabo San Lucas in Mexico with teammate Wyatt Johnston when fate intervened.
Instead of relaxing in the lap of Mexican luxury, the 6'3", 211-pounder was thrust into the international crossfire thanks to myriad injuries on the Canadian blue line.
Team Canada was without Shea Theodore, Alex Pietrangelo and Josh Morrissey due to injuries and illness, which meant coach Jon Cooper tapped Harley to not only get a spot on the roster but also to play significant minutes.
The 23-year-old was particularly effective in Thursday's finale, overcoming some early jitters to play responsibly in his zone and help get the puck up to the fleet of fast, skilled Canadian forwards.
Harley assisted on Nathan MacKinnon's goal in the first period, opening the scoring. He ended up seeing 21:56 of ice time across 31 shifts, racking up one shot on goal and blocking two shots.
Not quite a killer tan by the Pacific, but it's a good bet he'll enjoy his medal.
Matthew Tkachuk's Injury
4 of 5
It's a cruel reality of sports, but that doesn't make it any less true.
Sometimes one man's malady is another man's, or another team's, miracle.
A case can be made for that conclusion when it comes to Team USA spark plug Matthew Tkachuk, who was clearly compromised by what was reported as a groin injury and didn't see the ice down the stretch of the third period or in OT.
And when it comes to the American team, he's not just another guy.
The blood-and-guts winger was a Cup winner with the Florida Panthers last summer, and the infectious grit provided by him and younger brother Brady created issues for the Canadians and all other opponents during the tournament.
However, the 27-year-old missed a significant portion of last week's first meeting between the teams and was on the bench but unable to play in the final. He logged only 6:47 minutes of ice time and one shot on goal across 15 shifts.
Even the most ardent Team Canada supporter would likely concede that if Tkachuk had played, particularly in overtime, things might have been different.
Too Much Star Power
5 of 5
It's easy to respect the pluckiness, work ethic and sheer determination of underdog teams that get to the brink of championships.
But there's a reason why they're underdogs. And why they often don't win.
When it comes to big games—and specifically in big moments in big games—it's the stars who typically find a way to make a decisive impact.
It was the case in 2010, when the Americans rallied with two goals to force overtime but were vanquished by Crosby, a three-time Cup winner who'll arrive in the Hall of Fame the moment he becomes eligible.
And it was the case again on Thursday, when McDavid—a five-time scoring champ and a three-time MVP who's widely considered the game's best player—found a way to hit another OT winner.
McDavid was cited as the Player of the Game and his Canadian teammate MacKinnon—a Cup winner, a scoring champion and an MVP in his NHL life—was deemed the player of the tournament by a panel of broadcasters.
That's not to mention the lingering presence of Crosby, as well as a former Norris winner in Cale Makar, and a combined 19 championship rings in the locker room.
No matter how brave an opponent is in the attempt, it's hard to beat that hand.
.jpg?w=600 "Titans President Steps Down")