What we learned about Team Canada at the 4 Nations Face-Off ahead of Milano-Cortina Olympics
Best-on-best men's international hockey returns in less than a year
It took Connor McDavid alone in the slot, a pass from Mitch Marner, and a puck past one of the best goaltenders in the world for an entire nation to exhale.
No. 97 with the A on his sweater ended it in overtime for Canada on Thursday night, securing the 4 Nations Face-Off championship title with a 3-2 win over the Americans in Boston's TD Garden.
The Canadians might be the only people to ever lift the trophy from this one-off tournament. But it certainly wasn't meaningless.
WATCH | 4 Nations tournament united Canada:
Beyond what the win meant to the country, there's lots to take away for the group building Canada's men's hockey team at the Olympics. Less than a year remains before the Games open in Milano Cortina, where NHL players will return to the Olympic stage for the first time in more than a decade.
Here are four things we learned at the 4 Nations Face-Off as we look ahead to the 2026 Olympics:
1. Leadership first
Back in December, when this roster was announced, head coach Jon Cooper said leadership was a factor when deciding who would be on this team.
"You can never underestimate how much that matters, when the game's on the line, when there's 20,000 people at the edge of their seat, who's under control in those situations?" he said. "When maybe a game is sliding, the ebbs and flows and ups and downs of a hockey game, who are the players that you know have proven to be able to excel in those situations and calm the waters?"
It was reigning Stanley Cup champion Sam Bennett who tied Thursday's final in the second period, when Canada could have started to panic, and 2019 Cup champion Jordan Binnington shone in net, even as people questioned if he should be Canada's starter.
And it was three-time Cup champion and two-time Olympic gold medallist Sidney Crosby who led this team throughout.
The original team named in December had a combined 20 Stanley Cups on their resume.
No one knew back in December just how big the stakes would feel for this game, but it looks like the decision to prioritize that steadiness and experience was the right call.
"Canada needed a win, and the players [bore] that on their shoulders, and took it seriously," Cooper said after Thursday's win. "This one was different. This wasn't a win for themselves. This was a win for 40-plus million people. And the guys knew it, and they delivered."
WATCH | Canada beats U.S. in scrappy hockey final after McDavid scores in OT:
2. Canada's starter for 2026
When the roster was named, much of the discussion was around Canada's three options in goal: Binnington, Adin Hill and Sam Montembeault.
Meanwhile, the Americans had what looked like an embarrassment of riches: Connor Hellebuyck, Jake Oettinger and Jeremy Swayman.
Binnington was tabbed as the starter from Game 1 and played every minute for Canada at this tournament. Even though he won a Cup with St. Louis in 2019, that decision drew some scrutiny. Could Binnington keep his cool when the pressure increased?
The answer was yes. In overtime, Binnington made a highlight-reel save on Brady Tkachuk to keep his team alive. He looked locked in.
"There's always going to be that doubt," Binnington told reporters after the game. "You've got to use that as motivation and find a way and believe in yourself and get the job done."
His performance makes things a bit easier for the group picking the 2026 team. While Canada went into this tournament without a clear starter, the job would seem to be Binnington's next year.
WATCH | Jeff Marek on clutch goaltending, and the goal that sealed Canada's 4 Nations victory:
3. Who will carry the torch
Young phenom Connor Bedard wasn't on this team, but Canada's brass spent time thinking about the "next" wave of players that could star for Canada, with more best-on-best men's hockey on the horizon.
With less than a year to go, it feels like a tall order for anyone to bump off a member of this team, who've now built bonds forged through winning for their country.
But lots can change and injuries happen. Giving a player like Bedard a chance to suit up with Crosby, McDavid and Nathan MacKinnon in 2026 would be a true taste of Canada's past, present and future.
Meanwhile, 23-year-old Seth Jarvis looked dangerous throughout the ice in his minutes in the final after pushing his way back into the lineup.
4. A taste of what's to come
Some people thought the 4 Nations Face-Off wouldn't hold much weight for players. It wasn't the Olympics and it wasn't even a World Cup, merely a one-off tournament.
But no one can doubt just how much this tournament meant, both on and off the ice.
"When you get out on the ice with this group and you're playing for your country and you have that opportunity, those are the things that not only you remember forever, but your family remembers forever and your entire country remembers forever," forward Brad Marchand said after the win.
"This game, this tournament is going to be talked about for a long time."
It was a taste of what's to come in less than a year's time when NHL players return to the Olympics, and a reminder of what was missed by not having best-on-best men's international hockey for the better part of a decade.
It isn't surprising that watching the best play the best is fun, but perhaps some forgot just how meaningful and intense it can be.
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With files from The Canadian Press
