New York Rangers defenseman Adam Fox has played in three Game 7’s. He played in the gold medal game of the World Junior Championships. He played in the Beanpot championship game, and he’s been to the Frozen Four semifinals.
But as he stood before reporters Wednesday in Boston, following the Team USA’s practice, he made a bold assertion about Thursday’s 4 Nations Face-Off championship game against Canada.
“That’s got to be the biggest game I’ve been a part of,” said Fox.
On Thursday, a winner of the NHL’s first best-on-best tournament in over eight years will be crowned. The 4 Nations Face-Off replaced the league’s annual All-Star game this season, answering repeated calls from players and fans for a best-on-best competition.
The league hasn’t sent its players to the Olympics since 2014. The last international tournament to feature the NHL’s top talent, the 2016 World Cup of Hockey, took place in Sept. 2016. In that tournament, players aged 23 years and younger from Canada and the U.S. were consolidated into “Team North America,” which meant that then-budding stars Vincent Trocheck and J.T. Miller did not represent the U.S.
Perhaps more egregiously, it meant that Connor McDavid and Nathan MacKinnon had yet to skate alongside Sidney Crosby on Team Canada.
Until this year.
The 4 Nations Face-Off has been everything hockey fans could’ve dreamed of — and then some. The U.S. beat Canada 3-1 in their lone round-robin meeting on Saturday under the brightest lights in hockey — Bell Centre in Montreal. Fans booed The Star-Spangled Banner. The game began with three fights in the first nine seconds. McDavid showed off his speed for the opening goal, electrifying the crowd some more. And the Americans came out on top, on behalf of Jake Guentzel’s two goals and superb goaltending from Connor Hellebuyck — who also played for Team North America in 2016.
It’s fitting that the tournament comes down to a rematch of the best rivalry in international ice hockey — Canada versus the United States.
This time, the U.S. holds home ice advantage. They finished first in the round-robin, and the game will be played on U.S. soil.
“Just a lot of excitement in here,” Trocheck, the Rangers forward, said. “Everybody’s ready to go. Couple days in between games, so the anxiousness is starting to build.”
The two days between Monday’s game against Sweden — a 2-1 loss — and Thursday’s final are a game changer for the Americans. The U.S. has dealt with several injuries to its top players. Matthew Tkachuk and Auston Matthews missed Monday’s game with injuries. Brady Tkachuk left early. Charlie McAvoy was hospitalized for an AC joint sprain he suffered last week against Finland and an infection.
McAvoy won’t play, which is a huge blow to the U.S. blue line. But the Tkachuk brothers, who head coach Mike Sullivan described as the emotional leaders of the team, are expected to return. So is Matthews, the U.S. captain.
Despite the return of their star forwards, the U.S. understands that it faces a mammoth task: taking down Crosby, MacKinnon, McDavid, and Cale Makar for the second time in less than a week.
“It’s gonna be a tight-checking game,” Trocheck said. “It’s obviously very high intensity, so we have to bring the same intensity we brought last game.”
Added Trocheck when a reporter asked him about Saturday’s game: “It’s probably the most skilled, highest intensity, just best game I’ve ever been a part of.”
Miller, who joined the Rangers via trade from the Vancouver Canucks on Jan. 31, as usual, kept his message simple.
“We have one game to win,” he said. “That’s why we came, to win. We’re playing against a rival, and we wouldn’t want it any other way.”
Miller did not confirm whether Thursday’s game was the biggest of his career. He said that it was “certainly one of them.” Like Fox, Miller has played in his share of Game 7’s and gold medal games.
“I think all those other moments help you prepare for this,” Miller added. “Maybe not as jittery and anxious and nervous. I feel better going into this game than I have in all the other ones, in a sense of calmness and knowing what I need to bring.”
“From the start, you felt that intensity,” Fox said. “This is probably the most jacked up I’ve been for a game, so ready to get it going.”
For the players, this is a Game 7. Except, this time, national pride, not the Stanley Cup, is on the line.
