After defeating the US in ice hockey, the prime minister of Canada says, “You can’t take our country”

Canada ended an ice hockey competition laden with political tension on Thursday by defeating bitter rivals the United States 3-2 in overtime to win a thrilling 4 Nations Face-Off final in Boston.

After some crucial stops from the much-maligned Canadian goalie Jordan Binnington, Connor McDavid scored the game-winning goal.

The tense action on the ice was a reflection of the geopolitical tensions that have been building in North America since Donald Trump became president of the United States last month.

Ahead of the election, Trump, who has publicly expressed his intention to make Canada the “51st state” and threatened to impose steep tariffs on Canadian products, called on the U.S. team to lend his support.

Justin Trudeau, the prime minister of Canada, retaliated after the game.
He wrote, “You can’t take our game – and you can’t take our country,” on social media.

During the pre-game performance of “O Canada” at TD Garden, several American spectators jeered, even though the public address announcer asked for respect for both teams’ national anthems.

During last week’s game in Montreal, which the Americans won 3-1, Canadian fans mocked the U.S. national song.

Three fights broke out in the first nine seconds of Saturday’s intense matchup, but Thursday’s skirmishes were less frequent but the pressure was still high.

“Just to see the reaction, to know what it means to us,” McDavid responded on the ice when asked what he enjoyed most about the victory.

“As you can see, even though it’s only a short event and won’t result in an Olympic gold medal or anything, it means the world to our bunch. Everyone fought so hard during the week.

“It was special.”

The tournament’s first edition also included Finland and Sweden.

Nathan MacKinnon gave Canada the first goal through traffic, but Auston Matthews curled around the goal and Brady Tkachuk smashed the puck home to make it 1-1.

A scoreless third session set up a tense five-on-five overtime in which McDavid emerged as Canada’s hero. Jake Sanderson gave the United States the lead in the second period, but Sam Bennett of Canada tied the score.

The NHL reported that Saturday’s match between the United States and Canada drew 10.1 million viewers, demonstrating the remarkable success of the event, which it presented in place of its customary All-Star game.

Viewership and sports betting figures are predicted to be significantly higher on Thursday.