Canada vs. USA hockey: A border war, viewed from a border town

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There was no avoiding the politics Thursday night at the 4 Nations tournament, as sport once again became a microcosm of international politics

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Published Feb 20, 2025  •  Last updated 25 minutes ago  •  5 minute read

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Canada versus the USA has produced some memorable hockey games over the years, from the Canada Cups of the ’90s to the double-gold of 2002 in Salt Lake City and Sidney Crosby’s magical moment at Vancouver 2010.

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But Thursday’s meeting of the two men’s national hockey teams felt different. The rising temperature fuelled by the increasingly turbulent relationship between the countries added a more personal element — politics once again played out through sport.

Or perhaps that was merely a perspective viewed through tariff-coloured glasses.

There were no fights this time around when the puck dropped between the USA and Canada Thursday night at the 4 Nations tournament, as opposed to the three that happened in the opening nine seconds of their first meeting last week.

But the rivalry couldn’t escape the animosity and charged political climate that enveloped the game, whether it was Pizza Pizza’s Reverse Tariff ad that played incessantly in the intermissions, or the USA players — including a suddenly unpopular J.T. Miller — fawning over a call from Donald Trump before the game.

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“Hopefully we can get the win tonight for our country and for Trump,” American defenceman Noah Hanifin said earlier Thursday.

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But the American president was disappointed, as the Canadians outlasted the Americans in an epic overtime win. Connor McDavid — who else? — scored the winner at the 8:18 mark of the extra frame, giving the visitors a 3-2 victory that felt as if it transcended hockey.

In White Rock, the simmering economic tensions and posturing by the respective governing administrations is felt more keenly as a border town caught up in an international border spat. Its residents are frequent visitors south of the 49th parallel, whether it be for Trader Joe’s peanut butter and milk in Bellingham, or cheap gas at Dino Mart in Blaine.

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The cross-border trips have reduced in frequency as more Canadians stay closer to home to spend their money — both because the dollar is weaker than Charmin and because of the political climate — but Thursday night’s game brought them out of their houses to congregate at local pubs. And it wasn’t just because it was a rivalry.

“It’s political more than anything,” said Braden, a 29-year-old from Surrey who was watching the game with his girlfriend Brianna at The Highwayman Pub in White Rock.

“You see the crowd in here … this place is more busy than I’ve ever seen it for a game. Pretty much everyone I know is watching this right now.”

“It’s busier than the Super Bowl,” Brianna added.

Exactly zero people interviewed for the story wanted to have their last names published, wary of the blowback that might come from across the aisle.

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But Trump had no problems making his rhetoric public over making Canada the 51st state and it continued on Thursday, a non-starter for Braden and Brianna, but South Surrey and White Rock are traditional Conservative strongholds, and some indicated their willingness to listen.

“Hell no,” Braden said when asked about it during the second-period intermission.

“They could be our next province if that’s how they want to play,” said Brianna, whose brother is a well-known hockey influencer, and has family that works for the Canucks.

“But we don’t want this dirty beef with them. You’re the U.S., we’re Canada. Let’s work together, not against each other.”

A block down the street at the Beer Shack, the game was a bustling business with as many Team Canada jerseys as steins bellied up on bar stools.

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“Is it political? Sure, but you know, that’s media hype and social media,” said Jared, a White Rock resident.

“I don’t think the players care as much.”

“I’m in the minority, and while I’m a proud Canadian, I’ve got to tell you, the last eight years of political regimes have made me more and more disappointed at being a Canadian,” said his friend, Kevin.

“I’m embarrassed, so badly, about what our government has allowed us to become in the eyes of the world. I used to travel Europe and everybody would be so proud. They’d see a Canada flag on my backpack. We don’t get that anymore. We’ve fallen out of favour.

“We, as a country, voted in a government that was always going to be slightly centre left. Instead, they went almost Fascist left, so far left. … When you got tampons in the men’s washrooms of our military bases, we’ve shifted too far. Way too far. And don’t get me going on climate change.”

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Kevin, from Ocean Park, works in the U.S. and makes monthly trips over the border for gas and groceries.

“We have a government that’s been shut down for three months just to protect where they’re at,” he said. “We have our biggest trading ally putting 25 per cent tariffs on us, and our government is in (prorogue). ‘Oh, we’re just going to excuse ourselves in this really tough political climate.’ It doesn’t make me very proud to be Canadian.”

It would explain why Kevin, resplendent in the same Team Canada jersey he wore at Rogers Arena when Crosby scored the Golden Goal against the U.S. in the Olympics, bet on the Yanks to win Thursday’s game. “A hedge bet,” he grinned. “Win-win.”

He was disconsolate when American Jake Sanderson scored to even things up at 1-1 in the first period. Later in the game, his compatriots up the street at the Highwayman were living on a knife’s edge as the game went to overtime.

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“It’s 2-2,” said Braden. “I want to see them pull through. I also want the waitress to come back so I get another drink. But I think it’s good. This place is gonna go bananas if they win.”

“I just saw something on Instagram, and it was a little boy at this game holding up a sign that said, ‘Win or lose, proud to be Canadian,’ said Brianna. “And that’s the thing; we’re not stooping to their level. We’re just taking it because we’re not nasty people. We love the sport. We want to see (Canada) win. If we don’t win, we know that the U.S. was a better team — that night.”

Jordan Binnington even got a standing ovation at The Highwayman for his OT saves that kept Canada in the game, but the pub erupted in cheers and running high-fives after McDavid’s goal, a cathartic release of tension and subsequent pride in Canada.

An impromptu rendition of O, Canada even got the entire pub on their feet as the trophy was presented to the team.

“It was a valiant try from the U.S.,” Braden said after the game.

“Go Canada!”

Across the table, Brianna drummed her fingers waiting her turn to add her final thoughts, before a gleeful: “F–k your tariffs!”

jadams@postmedia.com

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