By Mark Nagi
Regular readers of my columns understand that I am a big fan of good old-fashioned sports hate. Not real-world hate, which has cost millions if not billions of lives over the centuries, but hate about a player, a team, or even a group representing a country.
I thought of this while watching the USA Men’s hockey team face off with the Canadiens during the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy. Over the last few decades, the Americans have made this a competitive rivalry. Hockey might not be our national sport, but the red, white, and blue have produced so many historically good players.
I’m a hockey guy, so this is right in my wheelhouse. Brian Leetch, Mike Modano, Jeremy Roenick, Pat LaFontaine… these are players whose success in the 80s and 90s helped set the stage for the growth of the sport in the States.
But except for the 1996 World Cup of Hockey, when the United States and Canada faced off in a major tournament, our friends north of the border have been the better side.
In 2002, the Canadiens beat the USA 5-2 in the gold medal game in Salt Lake City. At the Vancouver games in 2010, once again the Canadians broke American hearts, this time 2-1 in overtime on the “Golden Goal” by their favorite son, Syndey Crosby.
Last year, something called the 4 Nations Face-Off matched the USA, Canada, Finland, and Sweden in a mini tournament to replace the NHL All-Star Game. This time, Team USA was trying to shift the power dynamic. Matthew Thachuk, his brother Brady Thachuk, and J.T. Miller picked fights at the start of their preliminary game. The Americans used that momentum to pick up the victory. But Canada got its revenge in the title matchup. Connor McDavid, the best player in the world, scored in sudden death, giving his team a 3-2 victory. Once again, the Americans were runners-up.
It’s an interesting dynamic because all these players are together during the regular season and playoffs in the NHL. But they must take a break, sometimes from their own teammates, to compete against them for their country.
The NHL stars took a break from the Olympics for a couple of turns but were back in a big way in 2026. And yet again, it would be Canada versus the USA for the biggest prize.
Decades of coming up short were weighing on this Star-Spangled Banner group, and it showed. This was a team on a mission, breezing through the prelims, escaping Sweden in the quarters, and was ready for arguably the biggest game of their lives in the finals. Canada looked vulnerable, getting scares in the quarterfinals and semifinals.
Team USA hadn’t won gold since the Miracle on Ice group of amateurs did so in 1980 in Lake Placid. In 2026, we saw one of the best hockey games ever played. Ferocious hitting and blinding speed were on display throughout the game.
The Americans had the best player on the ice: goaltender Connor Hellebuyck, who stopped 41 Canadian shots. The game went to overtime, and Jack Hughes’s game-winner will become a generational moment for the Americans.
USA 2, Canada 1. Finally, the Americans got the best of their rivals.
For a rivalry to exist, the other team must win occasionally. Think about Tennessee and Alabama. Before 2022, this rivalry was frozen in time. But over the last four years, the teams have split those games two wins apiece.
Now, the Americans can say that they are on an equal playing field… until the next time they play. And that hatred will simmer until then… and that’s a great thing for all of us.
