USA vs Canada: rematch notes, where to watch, hockey rise in America

Team USA and Canada will face off again in the 4 Nations Face-Off final on Thursday.  

The U.S. handed Canada its first loss in a best-on-best tournament in 15 years last Saturday, rallying to a 3-1 victory in Montreal after a chaotic start with three fights in the first nine seconds.

Canadian dominance in hockey

This win snapped Canada’s 17-game streak in best-on-best tournaments and ended Sidney Crosby's 26-game international tournament winning streak. Canada has claimed victory in nine of the 13 best-on-best tournaments, including five of the last six and three consecutive titles. The United States has won just one best-on-best tournament, the 1996 World Cup of Hockey, where they triumphed over Canada 2-1 in a best-of-3 final according to NHL.com.

Before this, the last time Canada and Crosby lost a best-on-best game was to the U.S. during group play at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics, though Canada would go on to defeat the U.S. in the final on Crosby's iconic golden goal in overtime.

American hockey rise

USA Hockey is trying to let the world know they are in the mix as the best hockey country in the world. The roster is loaded from top to bottom with All-Star caliber talent in the NHL.  Hockey's expansion into markets like Dallas in 1996 has helped bring the game to areas of the country that had no experience with the sport.  

Now a generation that grew up with hockey in a variety of non-traditional cities is on the verge of winning a best-on-best tournament.

The Athletic reported last week, that hockey participation in kids is up, as is the number of Americans playing in the NHL.

"In 1999, the number of Americans in the NHL was actually on the decline," according to The Athletic. European players had begun to flood the league, to the point that Americans accounted for just 17 percent of player appearances in NHL games that season. Canada, long the sport’s dominant power, led the way at 54 percent. By this season, however, the U.S. had nearly doubled its NHL participation to 30 percent, an all-time high. It has gained considerable ground on the Canadians the past 20 years."

Injuries

Both teams will be missing key players: Canada's defense is hit hard by injuries to Shea Theodore and Alex Pietrangelo, while the U.S. will be without Charlie McAvoy. Matthew Tkachuk, Brady Tkachuk, and Auston Matthews are also questionable. On a positive note, Quinn Hughes will replace McAvoy.

USA vs. Canada

Thursday, Feb. 20 |  7:00 p.m.

TD Garden Boston, Massachusetts

 ESPN

This will be the last meeting between these rivals before the 2026 Olympics in Italy.