AS I SEE IT COLUMN: 4 Nations Face-off galvanizes Canadians’ resolve

We don’t know if Canada will beat the U.S. in the 4 Nations finale on Thursday, or whether the Americans will stand victorious in the first “best on best” tournament in a long time.

But there are other story lines from the tournament that are known.

The hockey has been tremendous

Expectations of seeing some great hockey were really high, especially seeing Connor McDavid wearing the Maple Leaf for the first time and the calibre of hockey has been fantastic.

The tournament may be a made-for-TV marketing gimmick, but no one can question the intensity, the skill and the passion on display for all four nations.

The “best on best” tournament proves yet again, that hockey is a beautiful game when played well.

We can hardly wait for next year’s winter Olympics for the global “best on best.”

The brawl was ridiculous

Unfortunately, the beauty of the game got lost in the ugly brawl at the beginning of the Canada/U.S. game, as the mainstream media unsurprisingly glommed onto the fights and not the actual hockey.

The brawl proved that hockey’s unwritten “code,” that fighting is essential to blow off steam, is complete and utter bunk. There was no steam to blow off at the opening face-off. There had been no cheap shots and no dirty hits that required payback.

Rather, the brawl looked like professional wrestling. No other team sport on the planet allows fighting. Hockey does. It’s the ongoing black eye on an otherwise beautiful sport.

The other way the brawl proved the “code” to be archaic is that you would never see a brawl like that at the Olympics, World Championships or the World Juniors. When there are strict rules where you get kicked out for the game (and maybe the next one) if you fight, you just don’t see brawls. Period.

The NHL needs to stop appealing to the Neanderthals that love fighting.

The ugly side of capitalism and greed

Remember when the NHL refused to allow two junior-aged Canadians (Connor Bedard from Chicago and Macklin Celebrini from San Jose ) to play in the World Juniors? The reasons cited were threat of possible injury and expensive insurance policies.

Can anyone explain how the NHL was worried about two players getting hurt at the World Juniors but not worried about 96 players getting injured in this tournament?

The only rational answer is greed. The NHL doesn’t make money at the World Juniors.

Win or lose, Canadian resolve emerges as the true victor – Whoever wins the 4 Nations, the tournament has shown the world how strong our collective Canadian resolve is in the face of harmful tariffs and the threat of being annexed.

Have you ever heard an entire rink sing O Canada like we heard in the tournament’s first two games in Montreal? It was rousing and inspiring.

Whether or not Canada defeats the U.S., is largely besides the point. On the ice, we know they are a great hockey team. Off the ice, we know the U.S. is a superpower and we are not.

It’s the collective struggle of our hockey team and of our nation that has galvanized Canadians to fight the tariffs and fend off annexation any way we can.

Every day you read of Canadians “buying Canadian” and boycotting anything and everything American.

Regardless of who wins the 4 Nations, Canadians know our relationship with the U.S. has changed, now that a cruel sociopath who enjoys causing pain and chaos is in charge.

Of course it would be great if Canada beats the U.S., but in the end it doesn’t really matter. The struggle, on and off the ice, will continue to fuel our collective resolve, no matter who wins.

Go Canada!