Connor McDavid has participated in two of the most monumental hockey games in recent memory, and although he came up short with the Edmonton Oilers in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final, he was the hero for Team Canada at the 4 Nations Face-Off on Thursday night.
McDavid scored the overtime winner to give Canada a 3-2 win in a thrilling final at TD Garden — one that will immediately go down as an instant classic. And his Oilers teammate Leon Draisaitl shared a short and sweet message afterwards.
Draisaitl took to his Instagram with a simple number: “97.”
McDavid took a pass from Mitch Marner and ripped a shot past Connor Hellebuyck, setting off wild celebrations across Canada. Although he had an up and down game, he’ll always be remembered in his country after the heroics.
The goal came 8:18 into overtime, the first goal in the game since late in the second period. Nathan MacKinnon and Sam Bennett also scored for Canada, while Jordan Binnington was exceptional in net, making 31 saves.
Although there was some criticism towards Canadian management for continuing to go back to Binnington — who was shaky at times during the tournament — the move paid off.
McDavid was named Most Valuable Player of the final, while MacKinnon earned tournament MVP honors. And with that, Canada remains on top of the hockey world.
“They did all the right things,” head coach Jon Cooper said after the thrilling victory. “For this group of players and the talent level they have, for them to do what they did away from the puck, that’s the Canadian way. That’s walking into a restaurant and opening the door for somebody to walk in first. That’s the Canadian way, and I couldn’t be more proud.”
Canada still hockey’s premier nation
It seemed destined that the game would go to overtime, just like the incredible 2010 Olympic Final between Canada and the United States did. Both games ended 3-2; 15 years ago, it was Sidney Crosby scoring the Golden Goal. But this time around, it was the sport’s best current player calling game in McDavid.
The 4 Nations was an overwhelming success, with players on both teams calling the final one of the biggest games they had ever participated in. Canada continues to find a way to win in the big moments, capturing Olympic gold in 2010 and 2014 as well as winning the 2016 World Cup of Hockey.
NHL players have been unable to compete in the Olympics since 2014, but will return in 2026 in Milan-Cortina, Italy. And the tournament should garner a ton of excitement after the incredible product that was the 4 Nations Face-Off.
The tourney just seemed to mean more after Donald Trump’s continuous calls to make Canada the 51st state. That is just never going to happen, and Thursday night’s victory was a lot bigger than hockey.
Both Finland and Sweden also won a game at the tournament, and it’s clear that best-on-best hockey is in a great place going forward.
But, at least for now, hockey remains Canada’s game.
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