Canada vs. USA at 4 Nations Face-Off has potential to be best ...

MONTREAL — “I think it’s going to be the biggest game that I’ve ever played in my career,” said Brady Tkachuk on Thursday.

When Canada and USA face off in Montreal on Saturday, it has the potential to be the best game we’ve ever watched.

If that seems hyperbolic, well … fine.

But it’s been eight-and-a-half years since Canada and USA played on this stage, and even longer since we’ve seen the best of both nations play, and it’s fair to say that the evolution of the game since the 2016 World Cup has likely promised us an unprecedented hockey display between some of the best players to ever suit up for either country.

Back in 2016, Connor McDavid, Nathan MacKinnon, Jack Eichel and Auston Matthews played for neither Canada nor USA. They are four of eight players participating in Saturday’s game to have suited up for the under-23 North American team, and they laid the foundation for what we’ll see on the very same ice surface on which they changed the game together.

“It’s the speed, the skill, the finesse, the way they think the game is unbelievable,” said Team USA’s Jaccob Slavin on Friday morning. “I think, from a pace standpoint, the game is so much faster now and guys are making those skill plays at such a higher level. I think that’s what you see showcased every night in these games especially…”

Jarmo Kekalainen called the 4 Nations Face-Off opener between Canada and Sweden Wednesday “one of the five best games I’ve ever seen.”

The assistant general manager for Team Finland played in Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux’s NHL in the late 1980s and early 1990s. He then began his career in management in his home country before building up a reputation as one of the game’s most prominent scouts. Kekalainen was GM of the Columbus Blue Jackets from 2013-2024. We’re talking about a hockey lifer who’s seen thousands of games through the most trained eyes one can have, and he agreed the first game of this tournament was likely just the appetizer to Saturday’s main course.

If you’re wondering what participating in it means to Slavin, he says he’d have skipped a much-needed vacation just for this one alone.

The 30-year-old defenceman plays in the most demanding system in the NHL with the Carolina Hurricanes. He’s counted on to win the biggest one-on-one matchups night after night. And he said that even if you scrapped the whole tournament and had nothing but practice for five days leading into Saturday’s game, he’d have “been on the first flight here.”

“These are games that you dream about playing,” he added. “You see the highlights of them growing up, but now you actually get to do it.”

Dylan Larkin thought this opportunity would arise many times since suiting up for that U23 NA squad in 2016. But with the NHL skipping the 2018 and '22 Winter Olympics, the wait has felt interminable.

“I think Team North America was a cool experience, and we were all young and in the same part of our lives and whatnot,” the 28-year-old said. “But you look at it, there’s a lot of guys on that team — most of us that made that team probably — that would’ve been able to make Team USA and represent our country, and that means a lot, and it would’ve been a great experience. Luckily, we’re back here and playing 4 Nations…”

Fortunately for hockey fans, this could be the best game we’ve ever seen, precipitating several of the best ones ever thanks to the agreement between the NHL and NHLPA to continue sending players to the Olympics and revive the World Cup. It makes Saturday’s game the first page in a new and most exhilarating chapter in the rich history between Canada and USA.

The 1996 World Cup, won by USA, really kickstarted the modern rivalry. It was propelled forward by Canada ending a 50-year gold medal drought at the 2002 Olympics with its 5-2 win over the Americans in Salt Lake City.

McDavid said after Canada’s practice on Friday that the 2010 Vancouver Games provided his greatest Canada-USA memory.

“That was a great game,” he said. “So exciting, obviously, ending in a Canadian win in overtime.”

Crosby delivered the golden goal that day. He was in uniform for the 1-0 win over the Americans in the last true best-on-best game between both nations — at the 2014 Olympics — and he’s one of only three Canadians playing in Saturday’s game who also dressed for the 4-2 Canada win over USA in September of 2016 at the World Cup.

Drew Doughty and Brad Marchand are the others, and they’re approaching this next one as the opportunity of a lifetime.

“There's no bigger rivalry than Canada-U.S. in hockey,” said Marchand. “They're the games that everybody dreams about playing growing up. They're memories that will last a lifetime. We're all really looking forward to it. Can't come quick enough.”

For USA coach Mike Sullivan, it’s coming fast and furious, and he can’t wait to watch it unfold from what he said is “the best seat in the house.”

“These are the generational talents that pave the way for the evolution of the game with some of the things they do out there and their creativity and the way they think the game and execute at such a high level,” Sullivan said. “It’s an amazing honour for us.”

The Americans put on a show in a 6-1 rout of Finland on Thursday, with both Brady and Matthew Tkachuk treating it like the biggest game they’d ever participated in.

But this one feels bigger — and has the potential to be that much better.

“It’s unique, and it’s going to be incredible,” said USA’s Charlie McAvoy. “The atmosphere’s going to be amazing, the rivalry speaks for itself. It is certainly where your mind goes when you think about dreaming about this as a kid and you think about playing in an event like this. That’s the team that comes to mind; it’s USA versus Canada (in Montreal) on a Saturday night. That’s what you dream of and it’s right in front of us, so I know we all can’t wait for the opportunity.”

Quick Hits

• When asked about Florida Panthers superpest Sam Bennett’s entry to Canada’s lineup, Slavin said, “I have a good history with him.”

He was reminded a lot of players in the NHL do and retorted not all of them have been left lying on the ice unconscious by Bennett.

“He’s a physical guy who plays hard,” Slavin said, “but it doesn’t change what we do.”

• The Americans out-hit Finland 32-16 in Thursday’s game, and had the puck for most of it. So, obviously, they’re up to that task.

• Sullivan on defending Canada’s power-play unit of Crosby, McDavid, MacKinnon, Makar and Sam Reinhart: “Obviously, it’ll be a big challenge. It’s hard to key in on any one aspect of the group, they have threats in all positions. I think we’re going to have to make sure that from our standpoint, we’ve got to just make sure that we’re there for one another. We’ve tried to instill a certain foundation of our penalty kill, both in-zone and off the faceoffs, and the forecheck up the ice; some of the critical aspects of killing that’s important for success. We just have to make sure that foundationally we’re on the same page and we’re locked in. We’re going to have to win faceoffs. We’re going to have to win puck battles. We’re going to have to make clears. If we can make the entries difficult for them and potentially limit their zone time, that goes a long way to helping us have success.”

Sweden wasn’t able to do any of that, with Canada scoring 12 seconds after William Nylander took a high-sticking penalty in the first period.

What the Swedes did well was stay out of the box after taking that one penalty, which was naturally a huge factor in them getting to overtime.

• We mentioned three players who played for Canada last time there was a game of this magnitude against the U.S. The Americans have none here, and have the youngest roster in this tournament.

Doesn’t necessarily mean anything. Just a point of fact.

• A quick scan of the resale market for Saturday’s game has last-row tickets being sold for a whopping $867.15 apiece.

What won’t cost a thing is the fan fest the NHL and NHLPA are throwing right outside the arena Saturday, starting at 11 a.m. and running all the way up to 8 p.m., with chances to take photos with the 4 Nations Trophy and get autographs from NHL alumni.