Perhaps the single most coveted match of the entire 4-Nations Face-Off tournament will be played on Saturday evening when Canada hosts Team USA at the Bell Centre in Montreal, Canada.
Both teams took care of business in their 4-Nations Face-Off openers. Canada bested Sweden in overtime on Wednesday night, 4–3, courtesy of a winner from Toronto Maple Leafs forward Mitch Marner. The following night, the United States hammered Finland 6–1, with the Tkachuk brothers, Brady and Matthew, scoring two goals apiece.
Those appetizers set the stage for Saturday's main course. We're going to look at the on-ice history between the two nations and discuss what's at stake in the clash between Canada and the USA, as well as how to watch it.
Canada vs. Team USA History
These countries haven't squared off on the ice since 2021 at the IIHF World Championship in Latvia, and haven't played a "best-on-best" game since 2014 at the Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia. With NHL players having been excluded from the Olympics since '14, Saturday's game will be the first opportunity for some of hockey's biggest stars to take part in the historic rivalry between Canada and the U.S.
Overall, Canada has bested the U.S. throughout their ice hockey history, having posted a 14-4-1 record through 19 meetings and have outscored their rivals 70–29. The last time they met in best-on-best play at the Sochi Olympics, Canada edged the Americans 1–0, with Jamie Benn scoring the game's only goal. These two rosters look drastically different now, and the only players who will be active Saturday who played in that Olympic clash are Canada's Sidney Crosby and Drew Doughty.
What's at Stake in Canada vs. USA?
In addition to the general political turmoil currently surrounding the bordering countries, Saturday's game will be the first time that the best players from both nations clash in over a decade. Most players on both teams haven't experienced the intensity of this rivalry, but they're well aware of its significance.
USA forwards Dylan Larkin and Brady Tkachuk, captains of the Detroit Red Wings and Ottawa Senators respectively, both said that Saturday's game would be the biggest game of their careers, signaling it was something they'd dreamed about since their youth. Matthew Tkachuk admitted he'd been thinking about this game for nine years.
Doughty, who was on the ice when these teams played in Sochi in 2014, said that the 11-year gap between games will have "amplified" the rivalry. Superstar center Connor McDavid acknowledged that the showdown vs. the United States is "what you dream of."
Clearly, there's plenty of built up anticipation ahead of the clash, and players on both sides have been eagerly awaiting this moment for many years now.
With all that in mind, let's take a look at how fans can tune into the action.
How to Watch Canada vs. USA in 4-Nations Face-Off?
Puck drop is set for 8:00 p.m. ET on Saturday, Feb. 15 at the Bell Centre in Montreal, Canada. The game will be broadcast in the United States on ABC, while Canadian audiences can tune in on Sportsnet. Additionally, live streams can be accessed via ESPN+ and Sportsnet+.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Canada vs. USA 4-Nations Face-Off Guide: How to Watch, Stream, and What's at Stake.
