Golden age dawns for Canada-USA hockey rivalry
In recent years, elite North American hockey players had access to half of the opportunities they craved. NHLers competed nightly in league play and chased the sport's ultimate prize, the Stanley Cup. But the NHL spurned the international spotlight, while stars of the women's game got to clash for patriotic bragging rights and gold medals.
The sport found the right balance in 2025. The hostile, riveting 4 Nations Face-Off was best-on-best hockey in its ideal form. The women who bridged a border divide to create a league of their own - the PWHL - bolstered their abilities in front of sellout crowds. These advances signal a golden age for Canada's bitter rivalry with the United States as the 2026 Milan Olympics approach.
First, the countries meet Sunday in Ceske Budejovice, Czechia, in the round robin of the 2025 IIHF Women's World Championship. Both squads are 2-0 at the tournament, and barring a giant upset, they'll reunite in the final on April 20 for the 23rd time. The Canadians, whose record in the title game is 13-9, are aiming to bag a fourth gold medal in five years.
Both women's national teams mix established and emerging talent. They're built like the 4 Nations lineups that upstaged Finland and Sweden on home ice while exhibiting hatred and incredible skill. No longer dormant, the Canada-U.S. men's rivalry has a jagged edge. Heading forward, women's tussles stand to be more competitive than ever.
Pros who've spent two seasons in the PWHL have had time to concentrate on the craft, take and throw hits, become faster and stronger, and quicken the pace of play. Gains they make in that high-end environment will translate to the world stage.
Coaching tips, conditioning and nutrition regimens, and growing chemistry between linemates helped players boost scoring throughout the league. There are 5.11 goals per game in the PWHL's second season, up from 4.83 in the inaugural year. At the same time, the excellence of defensive workhorses and the league's goalies explains a sterling average save percentage of .913 (the NHL equivalent is .900).
International icons top the PWHL in goals (Marie-Philip Poulin, 17) and points (Hilary Knight, 28). Poulin redefined clutch play with her four winning tallies for Canada in Olympic or world championship finals. Knight continues to pad her career scoring record at worlds with 67 goals and 114 points in 82 games.
Every line their teams send over the boards in Czechia blends finesse, jam, and offensive touch. Dominant up-and-comers like Canada's Sarah Fillier, the rookie forward lighting up the PWHL, control big games at a young age. Dynamic defenders Laila Edwards and Caroline Harvey are two of nine rising stars the U.S. plucked from the college ranks as the program girds for a post-Knight future.
Venom has coursed through the rivalry since Hayley Wickenheiser accused the 2002 U.S. Olympic team of laying the Canadian flag on their dressing room floor. Brawls intensified two exhibition matchups in the lead-up to the 2014 Winter Games.
When the result matters, every game is a close thriller. Eleven of the last 13 Canada-U.S. finals at the Olympics or worlds were decided by a goal. Eight in the span required overtime.
Tension was palpable in February at the 4 Nations, a turf war with a tribal feeling that even the Stanley Cup Playoffs can't replicate.
Fighting for the flag, Canada and the U.S. traded haymakers, chirps, and glorious chances until Connor McDavid wired a wrister over Connor Hellebuyck's glove in overtime of the final. For Canadian fans, the snipe felt like an affirmation of national sovereignty.
In defeat, the bruising and banged-up Tkachuk brothers became American cult heroes. Brady and Matthew's tour of the late-night circuit and popular YouTube shows grew hockey's profile and reach.
With NHLers in the mix again, the 2026 Olympics will be cinematic. The introduction of a healthy Quinn Hughes would supercharge the proceedings and counter Canada's deployment of the wondrous Cale Makar. Stacking the blue line with Hughes, Zach Werenski, Jaccob Slavin, and Jake Sanderson is probably how the swaggering Americans will pursue their first triumph at a best-on-best event since the 1996 World Cup.
Jordan Binnington's 4 Nations heroics won't silence questions about Canadian goaltending. But Canada boasts supreme star power: Makar, McDavid, and Nathan MacKinnon get to debut at the Olympics alongside Sidney Crosby, the golden sniper at Vancouver in 2010. Living legends will link up at biennial tournaments - the Winter Games and the revived World Cup - for years to come.
National pride and strife brought the best out of these players. Skill, bad blood, and high drama produce pulsating entertainment. There's more of that to come in Ceske Budejovice and Milan.
Nick Faris is a features writer at theScore.