The biggest hockey rivalry in the world is about to get even hotter as Team USA faces Team Canada Saturday night in Montreal.
This isn’t just another hockey game. When these two powerhouses meet at 8 p.m. ET in the 4 Nations Face-off, we might see the best matchup of the year.
The tension is already through the roof. Canadian fans have been booing the American national anthem in recent weeks, including during this tournament, adding extra spice to an already fierce rivalry.
But it’s the incredible talent on the ice that really makes this special.
These teams are absolutely stacked. An amazing 14 of the NHL’s top 25 scorers will be suiting up Saturday night. And that’s not even counting American superstar Auston Matthews or Quinn Hughes, who’s sitting out with an injury.
“This is going to be the biggest game I’ve ever played,” says U.S. forward Brady Tkachuk. That’s pretty remarkable coming from an NHL veteran.
The players aren’t treating this like some exhibition game. They’re going all out for their countries, even though this tournament’s brand new. The earlier games this week – Canada vs. Sweden and USA vs. Finland – were intense, and those weren’t even the big rivalry matchups.
Both teams are bringing their troublemakers too. The Tkachuk brothers, Brady and Matthew, are famous for driving opponents crazy, and U.S. coach Mike Sullivan has them playing alongside Jack Eichel – a combination that wreaked havoc in Thursday’s 6-1 win over Finland.
Canada’s not backing down. Coach Jon Cooper’s putting his two biggest agitators, Brad Marchand and Sam Bennett, on the same line. When these guys end up on the ice together, anything could happen.
We’re talking world-class skill, bone-crushing hits, and enough bad blood to fill the St. Lawrence River. These are the best players on the planet, playing for national pride.
Sure, it’s not the Stanley Cup Finals or the Olympics. But for pure hockey entertainment, this might be as good as it gets.
