USA vs Canada live score updates: 4 Nations Face-Off Championship Game latest
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Canadian national anthem partially hit with scattered boos during 4 Nations championship game
Fans of the Toronto Raptors booed as the National Anthem was sang ahead of their game against the LA Clippers on Sunday. (Credit: William Lou and David F via Storyful)
BOSTON (KTTV) – Some, not all, of Team USA’s hockey fans booed parts of the Canadian national anthem during the championship game of the 4 Nations Face-Off on Thursday.
The scattered boo-birds came as retaliation against Canadian hockey fans booing the Star Spangled Banner during the first game between the two countries last week.
The backstory:
The boos during O’Canada are likely Team USA fans’ response to the boos that came during the Feb. 15 round-robin game, which USA ended up beating Canada 3-1 on the road at Centre Bell in Montreal. To add to the lore of the USA-Canada hockey rivalry, players from both teams broke out in three different fights in the first nine seconds of the Feb. 15 game.
The exchange of boos likely stems from the fact that fans in Canada have booed the U.S. national anthem in recent weeks following President Donald Trump’s push to implement a 25% tariff on all imports from Canada.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Canadians boo during US National Anthem at Raptors-Clippers game
Following the Canadian national anthem during the Feb. 20 championship game, fans broke out the signature “U-S-A” chants, which is common during most international sporting events involving Team USA.
This story was reported from Los Angeles.
The Source: This story used information from previous Associated Press reports and videos shared by fans at Centre Bell and TD Garden in Boston.
This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. ©2025 FOX Television Stations
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How to watch 4 Nations Face-Off final: Canada-USA on ESPN
The stage is set for the NHL 4 Nations Face-Off final. After a week of group play, the USA meets Canada in the championship — a rematch following the USA’s 3-1 victory on Feb. 18. With the first outing filled with fights and intensity, fans are hoping for more of the same.
Though the U.S. will be without injured defenseman Charlie McAvoy, Matthew Tkachuk and Brady Tkachuk are expected to play. Meanwhile, Sidney Crosby and Connor McDavid will look to help Canada turn the tables in Round 2.
Who will take home the inaugural 4 Nations Face-Off title? Here are more key facts about the event.
How can fans watch?
Coverage for the 4 Nations Face-Off championship begins on Thursday at 7 p.m. ET with “The Point: 4 Nations Face-Off Pregame Show” hosted by Steve Levy alongside analyst Mark Messier and P.K. Subban on ESPN and ESPN+.
USA vs. Canada will start at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN, ESPN+, ESPN Deportes and Disney+.
Fans can catch all the action in the NHL streaming hub.
How can fans access more NHL content from ESPN?
Check out the ESPN NHL hub page for breaking news, stats, schedules and more.
Canada advances to the championship game of the 4 Nations Face-Off for a much-anticipated rematch against the United States. (0:53)
The 4 Nations Face-Off final is set. A 5-3 win for Canada in Monday’s game against Finland has pushed it through to the championship game, where it will face the United States. The U.S. clinched its spot in the final with a 3-1 win over Canada on Saturday.
If the return match between the two North American rivals is anything like the first one, hockey fans are in for another treat. That game — which featured three fights in the first nine seconds of play — was heralded by many players as one of the most intense games they had played in in their careers.
The ticket situation certainly befits the anticipation: According to Vivid Seats, the average listed price for the 4 Nations Face-Off championship game has skyrocketed by 137% since USA and Canada first faced off on Feb. 15, jumping from $990 on the 15th to $2,350 on Wednesday.
With the teams set for the final game of the inaugural 4 Nations Face-Off (8 p.m. ET, ESPN/ESPN+/Disney+), let’s explore the players who have been most important to each squad, the X factors for Thursday’s game, and just how confident each nation should be in its goaltender. Plus, betting intel courtesy of ESPN BET, and picks for the game.
What we’ve learned so far
All the conversations about what this version of Team USA could achieve have manifested themselves in a few ways. Against Finland, the U.S. looked the part of a team that was comfortable playing in a tight-checking game — only to provide the sort of offensive surge with three goals on its first four shots to start the third period.
The performance against Canada further amplified how the squad could rely on its collective talent, capitalizing on mistakes while having the flexibility to withstand a late push.
Team MVP through round-robin
Jaccob Slavin. Saying “a Tkachuk” would have made sense, considering Brady and Matthew combined to score four of nine goals for the U.S. through its first two games. And while the brothers’ exploits have received quite a bit of attention, there’s an argument to be made for the role Slavin has played in the success of the team — particularly as Matthew missed the game against Sweden due to injury, and Brady left after the first period.
Sweden defenseman Victor Hedman is the only skater who is averaging more ice time than Slavin during the tournament. Slavin is averaging more than 23 minutes per game, while anchoring a penalty kill that has been perfect through two games, which also speaks to what has allowed the U.S. to succeed within its defensive structure.
X factor: Special teams
Entering the third day of the tournament, there have been only four power-play goals. The U.S. was responsible for scoring two of those goals on five chances. And that’s being done without one of the NHL’s premier power-play quarterbacks in Vancouver Canucks star captain Quinn Hughes, who sat out the tournament because of injury.
The ability to capitalize on the power play has been balanced by a penalty kill that went 4-for-4 through two games because of a structure that not only moves with the puck but works to disrupt passing lanes at all times.
Goalie confidence: (9.5/10)
You might have heard: Connor Hellebuyck is another Vezina Trophy away from being the only American to win three. That would put him in a category with Martin Brodeur, Dominik Hasek and Patrick Roy, among others.
His strong performance in the regular season has carried over to the 4 Nations so far, with Hellebuyck allowing just two goals total in two games. But even with those two goals allowed, Hellebuyck made a number of saves that either made Finland look listless in its opening game, and leaving Canada frustrated in its inability to consistently take advantage of its high-danger chances in a 3-1 loss.
What we’ve learned so far
Canada has taken its time finding a rhythm. It was frequently its own worst enemy in the round-robin, and those mistakes often proved costly. Canada showed a different confidence in its last game against Finland, which seemed driven by their star players setting a tone.
But Canada can’t just rely on the likes of Connor McDavid and Nathan MacKinnon to find twine against the U.S. There are strong role players in Canada’s bottom six who can — and should — have an impact, whether it’s Sam Bennett adding some punch (literally) or the threat of a Mitch Marner-Anthony Cirelli connection.
And when it comes to Canada’s blue line, it’s not the same without Cale Makar — that was obvious within minutes of him stepping back into the lineup for Monday’s game after sitting out the first game against the U.S. on Saturday because of illness. Jordan Binnington also proved in Monday’s clash why coach Jon Cooper keeps going back to him — Binnington can come through for Canada when it counts.
Team MVP through round-robin
Connor McDavid. Now, this is tough, because Sidney Crosby is Canada’s points leader (with five) and Cooper essentially (or actually?) called him a god in Monday’s postgame news conference. And MacKinnon also has been excellent.
But it’s tough to discount what McDavid has done. He scored the opening goal in their past two games (including the lone marker on Connor Hellebuyck in the first matchup against the Americans), and the way he dominated offensively in Monday’s game with Finland was pure magic.
There’s no one who can flip a switch quite like McDavid. If he’s hitting that stride now, that’s everything Canada needs to feel confident ahead of the final.
X factor: Scoring depth
Does Canada have enough of it? It’s about to find out. The U.S. relied on its role players such as Dylan Larkin to win Saturday.
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Canada’s scoring to date has come primarily from its top two lines, and that’s important — critical, even. But Canada can’t be one-dimensional in its attack. There’s enough talent on each line that, when showcased early, can make the U.S. nervous. Canada has to tap into that mentality more than it has in recent games.
If the top lines are nullified by the U.S. — and vice versa — then victory could come down to which team gets the most out of its third and fourth units. And the way Cooper chooses to dole out ice time from puck drop also will be telling, and will show what he learned about how the teams matched up in the previous meeting.
Goalie confidence: (7.5/10)
Jordan Binnington is a polarizing figure. Cooper’s determination to stick with him as Canada’s starter throughout this tournament has been met with criticism, confusion and countless questions. His stats at the event also have been underwhelming (.892 save percentage, 2.60 goals-against average).
But Cooper hasn’t wavered, and Binnington was the best he has been so far in Canada’s game against Finland.
Now it comes down to whether the Stanley Cup-winning St. Louis Blues backstop can carry that performance over into the final — at least the one he turned in for 55 minutes (giving up two 6-on-5 goals to the Finns in three minutes was a tough look). Timely stops — that’s what Hellebuyck has provided the U.S., and it’s what Binnington has increasingly shown he can give to Canada.
Granted, Binnington didn’t get much help offensively from his teammates in that first outing against the Americans, but regardless if that’s the case again Thursday, Binnington must save his most complete effort for this final bout.
Courtesy of ESPN BET.
Money line: USA -110 | Canada -110
Game spread: Canada +1.5 (-325) | USA -1.5 (+220)
Total goals: Over 5.5 (+115) | Under 5.5 (-135)
Anytime point scorer parlay: Jack Eichel and Nathan MacKinnon (+178): “I’m sure for a lot of us, this probably would be the biggest game of our lives,” Eichel said after practice Wednesday. This is coming from someone who won a Stanley Cup not quite two years ago.
Eichel has registered at least one assist in each game this tournament, including a primary helper on Jake Guentzel’s first goal against Canada on Saturday. Like teammate Chris Kreider, who scored the USA’s only goal versus Sweden on Monday, the Boston University alumnus is relishing the opportunity to compete in this epic finale in his hometown.
For Canada, MacKinnon projects to target the net in a matchup he also desperately wants to win. One of the game’s fiercest competitors won’t be held to a single shot for a second straight tilt with the U.S. After scoring in the opener against Sweden, MacKinnon potted a pair of goals in Monday’s must-win game against Finland.
Toss these two opposing clutch performers together to each register a point at +178, or target longer parlay odds (+383) by siding with MacKinnon as an anytime goal scorer. The sport’s greatest tend to come up big when it matters most. — Victoria Matiash
Mark Messier previews the high-stakes rematch as USA faces Canada in a winner-takes-all showdown for the 4 Nations Face-Off crown. (1:58)
BOSTON — What makes Team USA a team — and not just a collection of All-Stars — is having Jaccob Slavin on the roster.
That’s not conjecture. That’s what Team USA coach Mike Sullivan said when asked what the Carolina Hurricanes defenseman means to the men’s national team at the 4 Nations Face-Off.
Practically everything about Team USA is a spectacle. The way they win is a spectacle. Their personalities are spectacles upon spectacles. Even hearing the song “Free Bird” after each goal is a spectacle; the reaction it draws from Team USA’s fans comes with the expectation that a bald eagle is going to soar throughout the arena to the backdrop of fireworks.
And while Slavin is the antithesis of that spectacle, what he does for the team is one of the main reasons the spectacle exists in the first place. Goals and those who score those goals receive the bulk of the attention. Goal prevention is not always guaranteed acclaim.
But this is what defines Slavin. It’s also what could help America sit atop the hockey world with another win over Canada in the 4 Nations Face-Off final (8 p.m. ET, ESPN/ESPN+/Disney+).
“He’s so underrated and he’s honestly one of my favorite players to watch,” Team USA defenseman Jake Sanderson said. “He just flies under the radar and makes great plays. He’s so solid defensively and such a great skater. It’s the sort of attribute I want in my game someday.”
LEADING INTO THE TOURNAMENT, a big talking point was what Team USA’s defensive structure would look like. While Connor Hellebuyck was long believed to be the starting goalie, there was a thought that whoever would be in front of America’s goalies was going to give opponents fits.
The U.S. created a defensive corps featuring Brock Faber, Adam Fox, Charlie McAvoy, Zach Werenski, Noah Hanifin and Sanderson. Those six skaters are part of a larger wave of puck-moving defensemen who’ve helped define the NHL’s newest glamour position.
It’s a group that initially included the reigning Norris Trophy winner, Quinn Hughes, who was ruled out because of an injury.
But that also comes with the caveat that the rise of those puck-moving defensemen has led to defensive-minded defensemen receiving less attention.
Or to view it another way: The NHL’s affinity for two-way quarterbacks has come at the cost of those shutdown defensemen. And if his Team USA teammates are quarterbacks for what they do in the offensive zone, that in turn makes Slavin a shutdown cornerback.
“Jaccob’s a guy that, in my mind, is one of the best defenders and one of the best defending defensemen in the league,” Sullivan said. “His size, his mobility, his reach, his ability to read plays, he closes on people, how strong he is in the battle areas. I don’t know if there’s a defenseman in the league who defends the rush more aggressively or better than Jaccob does.”
MANY THINGS HAVE CONTRIBUTED to why Team USA has looked like the most consistently complete team throughout the 4 Nations tournament. One of those is a restrictive defensive structure that, if all else fails, can rely on Hellebuyck, one of the greatest goaltenders America has ever produced, to contain the situation.
Actually getting to that point against Team USA has been rare for opponents. Finland scored only once, as did Canada. The U.S. won both of those games, which made Monday’s 2-1 loss to Sweden irrelevant because it had already qualified for the title game.
The most surprising part of Sweden’s two goals? Slavin was on the ice for both.
Before that, he had logged more than 45 combined 5-on-5 and short-handed minutes without a goal being scored. He leads Team USA’s skaters with an average ice time of 21:31 per game, while anchoring a penalty kill that hasn’t allowed a power-play goal against.
“He’s super tough to play against. I’m a D and I don’t go against him a lot,” Sweden and Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman said. “The way he is in the way, the way he breaks pucks up and is such a great skater.”
Much of what Slavin does is in the details, but there are times when it becomes large enough for all to see. That was the case in the win over Canada, when Colorado Avalanche superstar center and reigning Hart Trophy winner Nathan MacKinnon was speeding in for a zone entry, as he has done so often in his NHL career.
Just when it appeared MacKinnon found an opening, Slavin was right there — forcing one of the game’s most dangerous players to rethink his approach.
“Yeah, he’s incredible defensively and does a lot of little things that are hard to notice,” said Hanifin, who was teammates with Slavin for three seasons in Carolina. “Just his stick. He breaks up so many plays that are hard to break up.
“He’s a great skater; he’s always gapping up and limiting an opponent’s time and space. He’s one of the best in the game at it.”
TEAM USA AND Dallas Stars goaltender Jake Oettinger said that he always knew that Slavin was underrated, but actually playing with him at the 4 Nations gave him a greater appreciation for what he does.
“He takes away stuff before it ever happens,” Oettinger said. “It never has time to develop, and he just reads the game so well and is so smart. I’m sure those goalies in Carolina love playing for him.”
Slavin does have an offensive presence. He has had seven seasons of more than 30 points, and is flirting with what would be an eighth season, with 20 points through 56 games this NHL season. In total, he’s had 292 points in 721 career games. For comparison, Hughes has scored 392 points in just 412 games.
But another detail that speaks to Slavin’s effectiveness is how he’s low-risk for penalties, despite consistently playing in high-risk situations (for copious minutes) on a nightly basis.
The 30-year-old Slavin is averaging more than 22 minutes per game for his career, yet he has accrued only 94 total penalty minutes in those 721 games. Another comparison: Team USA forward Brady Tkachuk finished second in the NHL with 134 penalty minutes last season.
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Sullivan explained that Team USA wanted to build the sort of well-rounded team that could thrive in whatever situation was presented.
By adding Slavin to its roster, Team USA has done more than thrive in all situations at the 4 Nations Face-Off. And now, he has put them in position to win it all.
“He’s been a big part of our group’s ability to be stingy defensively,” Sullivan said. “He’s a huge part of our penalty kill. He helps us at our net front. Those are the types of skill sets or complementary skill sets we were looking for when we were putting this group together.
“He may not be the guy that ends up on the scoring sheet or on [‘SportsCenter’], he’s just the guy that helps you win.”
