Carney-vores Versus Team Donald: Nothing Else Will Do At The Olympics

The Olympic hockey break begins this Friday as the best players in the world (minus the greatest scorer in NHL history and his Russian teammates) head to Torino. There won’t be NHL hockey again till February 25 as the gold medal is decided in Italy.

No doubt there will be memorable moments for one nation and heartbreak for several more of the major contenders— Canada, USA, Sweden, Finland. Already Team USA is priming the pump with commercials showing Jon Hamm exhorting Auston Matthews, Quinn Hughes, Charlie McAvoy, Jack Eichel and Brady Tkachuk. “You’re going to Milan to bring home the biggest prize of all.

“Canadian tears,” Eichel interjects.

“Exactly…Wait, what? What did Canada do?” The Mad Men actor questioned.

“Stuff,” Tkachuk states.

If you need to ask what “stuff” you need to get a life. Stuff means the Four Nations tournament held this time last year. Canada persevered over its goaltending and more to beat the USA for the title, one invented by the NHL to fill the All Star gap. If that formula sounds like a recipe for half-hearted effort you’d be wrong. 

The first USA/ Canada showdown in the round robin is probably one of the Top 10 most memorable men’s games ever. Played against the backdrop of incoming POTUS Donald Trump musing about Canada being a 51st state, it resonated like few games in history. Here’s how we described the win by Team U.S. 

“You wanted a border war? You got a border war. And just like the political conflict this one came down to Canada’s defence. Or lack of same.

After weeks of a phoney war of words between Canada’s abdicated leadership and America’s newly elected Trump administration, the question of Canada’s sovereignty crystallized Saturday on a hockey rink in Montreal. It was a night few will forget. The 3-1 score of Team U.S. over Team Canada being secondary to other outcomes.

Despite public calls for mutual respect, the sustained booing of the American national anthem and the Team Canada’s invocation by MMA legend Georges St. Pierre was answered by the Tkachuck brothers, Matthew and Brady, with a series of fights in the first nine seconds of the game. Three fights to be exact when former Canuck J.T. Miller squared up with Brandon Hagel. (All three U.S.players have either played on or now play for Canadian NHL teams.) 

Premeditated and nasty. To say nothing of the vicious mugging of Canada’s legend Sidney Crosby behind the U.S. net moments later by Charlie McEvoy. 

Those who’d expected a solidarity moment pregame to counter booing the anthem had been optimistic. “Kinda think it might be more fitting for the U.S. team to go stand shoulder to shoulder with the Canadians, under the circumstances. That, I’d cheer.,” said Andrew Coyne. Wrong again.

Expecting a guys’ weekend like the concurrent NBA All Star game, the fraternal folks instead got a Pier Six brawl. It was the most stunning beginning to a game most could remember in 50 years. (Not least of all the rabid Canadian fanbase urging patriotism in the home of Quebec separation) Considering this Four Nations event was the NHL’s idea to replace the tame midseason All Star Game where players apologize for bumping into each other during a casual skate, the tumult was shocking as referees tried to start the game .

But in these unprecedented times who could have predicted the outcome? Under-siege Canadians were represented by fans wearing flashing red lights. They’d been urged on by yahoos in the Canadian media to boo everything American they saw, unaware-but-uncaring if it ruled out Americans playing in a Canadian city when they get the chance in the future. 

“It’s also more political than the (1972) Summit Series was,” bawled Toronto Star columnist Bruce Arthur, “because Canada’s existence wasn’t on the line then, and it may be now. You’re damn right Canadians should boo the anthem.”

He got what he asked for. It was as if large dozing segments of Canada had suddenly awoken to their fate in the weeks since incoming POTUS Donald Trump’s tariff threats forced PM Justin Trudeau to resign and prorogue Parliament so his Liberals could stage a succession plan. 

Instead of looking inward to examine what Canada had done to invite trouble the target was instead on Trump, who many believe is supposed to act like a beneficent older brother to Canada. Indignant Canadians are suddenly cancelling winter vacations to the U.S. while boycotting American chain stores like Home Depot and Costco. 

Even though Canada’s military is a token force following years of Trudeau downsizing and DEI incursions, the sunset media, without irony, invoked Vimy Ridge and D-Day in their disgust with Trump, who wants Canada (and NATO allies) to actually pay for their defence.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   

The TV commercials from Canada’s corporate side also waved the patriot flag, too. Leading one to wonder had they really missed the Trudeau decade that prompted this? How he’d lowered the flag for six months in penance for racism and genocide? Did they not hear him talking about Canada having no culture now? How it was now postmodern? How it was now 40 million narratives?

Apparently not, as they revived narratives from the 1980 Quebec referendum to stir the crowd.” On this night it was wasted, as Canada’s goalie Craig Binnington   was outclassed by America’s Connor Hellybuyck in a stunning loss. Canada got revenge five days later, winning the tournament with a 3-2 OT triumph.

Leading to the likely 2026 Olympic showdown between Canada and the U.S . “Are we sure we can’t just hug it out?” Hamm asks. Not these mad men, Jon. Once certainty— if the Four Nations was any indication of the rivalry between the U.S. and Canada  fraternal feelings will be on hold for a while.

Bruce Dowbiggin @dowbboy is the editor of Not The Public Broadcaster  A two-time winner of the Gemini Award as Canada's top television sports broadcaster, his 2025 book Deal With It: The Trades That Stunned The NHL And Changed Hockey is now available on Amazon. Inexact Science: The Six Most Compelling Draft Years In NHL History, his previous book with his son Evan, was voted the seventh-best professional hockey book of all time by bookauthority.org . His new poetry collection In Other Words is available via brucedowbigginbooks.ca and on Kindle books at https://www.amazon.ca/dp/1069802700