USA Hockey Bends Canada Over Their Knee And Spanks Them Into The New Year
Minas Panagiotakis. Getty Images.Who: USA vs Canada
What: 2025 World Juniors Preliminary Round
When: 7:30pm
Where: Canadian Tire Centre (Ottawa) // NHL Network // TSN
Why: Because USA Hockey is Do or Die
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It's been a while since we've had one of these, but one of the greatest traditions in sports is USA vs Canada on New Years Eve at the World Juniors. It seems like it was every year from like 2005-2014. A decade of ringing in the new year with the best rivalry in hockey. Ever since then it feels like USA and Canada have regularly been split up in different groups, and only get a chance to play each other in the medal rounds.
The last time USA and Canada played head-to-head was in the 2023 semifinals. We can forget that game ever happened, but Canada waxed the Americans 6-2. However, Team USA has won 5 out of the last 7 times these two teams have played against each other, and that's including two gold medal games in 2021 and 2017.
This year's matchup has everything that you could want out of a classic USA vs Canada matchup. For starters, these teams are playing for the top seed coming out of Group A.
Both teams come into tonight with 2 wins and a loss in overtime. The US lost to Finland in overtime on Sunday afternoon. Canada lost in a shootout to Latvia for the first time in tournament history a few nights before that. One of those losses is clearly more embarrassing than the other, but they both count the same in the standings. So if either of these teams win tonight's game in regulation, they'll be the top seed in Group A heading into the quarterfinals. If Canada wins in overtime and Finland gets their 3 points against Latvia today in regulation, then Canada is 1, Finland is 2, and USA is 3. If USA wins in overtime and Finland gets their 3 points against Latvia today in regulation, then USA is 1, Canada is 2, and Finland is 3. There's really no path for Team USA to get the 2-seed unless Finland doesn't beat Latvia in regulation, so let's just consider tonight a Must Win.
On top of the standings implications, this game also has the matchup that everybody should be focused on if your favorite NHL team currently sucks at playing hockey. You've got James Hagens on USA who will most likely be the 1st overall pick in the 2025 NHL Draft, going up against Gavin McKenna on Team Canada who will undoubtedly be the 1st overall pick in the 2026 NHL Draft.
Hagens is one of the top point scorers in the tournament so far. He has 2 goals and 4 assists in USA's first 3 games. His vision is incredible, and he's especially lethal at finding the perfect pass to make on the powerplay.
Gavin McKenna has been quiet since scoring Canada's first goal of the tournament, but a game like tonight's on a stage like this is where he might be waiting to finally have his breakout moment.
So you have the top pick in each of the next 2 drafts. You have Canada on home ice trying to make everybody forget about their embarrassing loss to Latvia. You have USA looking to bounce back from an overtime loss to Finland where they just never seemed to find that extra gear to put a team away. It's New Years Eve in Ottawa and we've got a great game on our hands. So without further ado, let's fire up the Live Blog for the first time this tournament.
I'll be updating the blog as the game goes on, so feel free to hit the refresh button between periods. Also you can just follow along on Twitter @JordieBarstool.
Live blog activated.
End of 1st Period: USA 1 -- Canada 0
If you take a penalty against the United States of America, then you die. It's as simple as that. It's been that way for quite some time in this tournament. Pretty much every time a team takes a penalty against USA, the ice gets completely tilted and the boys get themselves going. Tonight was no exception. USA gets their first powerplay of the night, and Cole Hutson (2024 WSH 2nd rd) makes a great move along the boards to get the Americans to strike first.
There's just something about a Washington Capitals defensive prospect scoring a massive goal for Team USA against the Canadians. John Carlson had the biggest of them all in the 2010 gold medal game 15 years ago. Tonight, Cole Hutson gets to join that list. Great pinch, great snipe, even better celly.
The rest of the period looked like it was mostly leaning Canada's way. A few decent chances but Trey Augustine (2023 DET 2nd rd) never looked like he was tested too much that period. This game is really going to come down to who can stay the most disciplined, because 5v5 hockey is going to be such a toss up. Whoever can stay out of the box is most likely going to win this game. But it seems like the box is going to be pretty full all night between these two teams.
No love lost, and you sure as shit love to see it. Does it get any better than USA vs Canada on New Years Eve? Not a chance.
40 minutes to go.
End of 2nd Period: USA 1 -- Canada 0
No goals scored in the 2nd period. A lot like the first, I'd say that Canada has a pretty clear edge when the game is 5v5. They're getting a ton of quality chances, but Trey Augustine just had the best period of his tournament. There were a few moments where Canada would have scored against any other goalie in this tournament, but not against Trey Augustine tonight. He came up huge at least 4 or 5 times that period.
But Canada keeps taking penalties, and playing right into USA's hands. They took 3 penalties that period, so any momentum they would have gotten 5v5 is cancelled out. USA is able to tilt the ice, tire out the Canadian penalty killers, and get the game going their way every time they're on the powerplay. They didn't score on any of them that period, but they're still effective and still getting chances. So if Canada wants to keep being the most undisciplined team in the tournament in the 3rd period, USA will take that all night long.
With that said…Canada starts the 3rd period on the powerplay. 20 minutes to go. Time to lock in.
3rd Period Updates: USA 4 -- Canada 1
As previously mentioned before, this game was always going to be about which team could stay out of the penalty box. It's USA. It's Canada. These two teams have been as tight as they could possibly be over the last 15-20 years. So as far as 5v5 hockey goes, it was always going to be a wash. But when Canada started the 3rd period off on the powerplay after a Ryan Leonard penalty to close out the 2nd period? Well that was their time to make this game interesting.
So we have a 1-1 hockey game after this powerplay goal by Bradly Nadeau (2023 CAR 1st rd) for Team Canada. But there was still 18 minutes left in the 3rd period. Still plenty of time for Team Canada to take a few more penalties. Which they did 4 more times in the 3rd period. 11 penalties on the night for Team Canada. Maybe the most undisciplined game we've ever seen out of this group. Right after tying up the game in the 3rd, Canada takes a cross checking penalty which leads to this Danny Nelson (2023 NYI 2nd rd) powerplay goal.
Danny Nelson has been delivering non-stop this tournament. Every time you need someone to step up, Danny Nelson seems to be the guy. He's a "checking forward" by trade, but this kid was born for the moment. Maple Grove product out of Minnesota. He's played equally as big of games as a 14-year-old.
And I just don't know how many times I need to say it. If you take a penalty against Team USA, you die. Those are simply just the rules. So with Canada taking a few more penalties in the 3rd period and squandering any chance they'd have at building any sort of momentum, Team USA goes back on the powerplay again. And this time it's one of the most snake bitten players in the tournament with Cole Eiserman (2024 NYI 1st rd) getting one past Carter George.
Big night for a pair of Islanders prospects.
Canada had their chances the rest of the way, but they were never able to get themselves into any sort of a groove. Probably on account of the 11 penalties they took throughout the night, if you ask me.
It was a game that Canada just looked wildly unprepared for. Like the moment was way too big for them. Team USA took their time, allowed Canada to implode, put the puck in the back of the net when they needed to, and finally got the Ryan Leonard dagger they needed to feel comfortable heading into the new year.
Another convincing win for USA Hockey over Hockey Canada. And now Team USA heads into the medal rounds as the top seed out of Group A. They'll get to start their gold medal defense against Switzerland in the quarterfinals on Thursday. Good fight, good night Canada. What a win for the boys.