It’s going to be a hockey battle on Saturday night as Canada and Team USA are set for the biggest game of the 4-Nations Face-Off. The Bell Centre in Montreal is set to host the heavyweight clash, and both squads are rolling in with some serious momentum. Canada scraped by Sweden in overtime on Wednesday, thanks to a clutch winner from Mitch Marner, and then Team USA demolished Finland, 6-1, the following night, and the Tkachuk brothers were a force to be reckoned with, scoring two goals apiece.

But those were just the warm-up acts. Now, the main event is locked and loaded. As the USA vs Canada showdown approaches, a legendary Hockey Hall of Famer is backing Canada in the 4 Nations Face-Off rivalry.

Hockey legend Chris Pronger took to X on February 15 to call the USA vs. Canada 4 Nations Face-Off, and he didn’t hold back. He sees Canada flexing that elite skill, but Team USA? They came in swinging with pure grit. “Canada has the edge on USA in high-end skill. But USA brought the dogs to this tournament,” he said.

If Canada’s defense—especially Cale Makar—holds up, they take a tight win. “Assuming the back end for Canada can stay healthy ie. Makar I think they win a close one,” Pronger added. Otherwise, it’s the USA all the way: “If not, the USA will grind on them and make them pay a price, wear them down and win it in the 3rd.” Either way, this one’s gonna be a war!

But, unfortunately for Team Canada, their star defenseman, Cale Makar is out of the 4 Nations Face-Off against the USA due to illness. So the concern is real and fans are getting anxious. And let’s be honest, when it comes to the USA and Canada, we are not talking about any ordinary clash.

4 Nations Face-Off sees a rivalry!

Canada and the U.S. haven’t faced off on the ice since the 2022 Beijing Olympics, and when it comes to a true NHL-flavored “best-on-best” battle? You’d have to rewind all the way back to the 2016 World Cup of Hockey. So, this match will be the first time in almost nine years that some of the most popular players will have a chance to write the next chapter of this historic confrontation. While Canada is ahead in the overall record with 14 wins, 4 losses, and 1 tie and has scored more goals (70) than the U.S.(29), history does not win games, players do. And this time around?

It is a mix of hockey tradition, patriotism, and years of waiting for such a match. This only adds another dimension to the existing tensions between the two neighboring countries on the political level. Many of the players on both teams have not personally experienced this rivalry, but they do not need anyone to tell them the significance of this fixture. Just ask Dylan Larkin and Brady Tkachuk—both captains in the NHL—who called this the biggest game of their careers.

And Matthew Tkachuk? This is the moment he has been looking forward to for the past nine years. And if you believe that the difference in years has made things less hot, then you are wrong. Drew Doughty said the absence of the rivalry for such a long time only intensified it. Meanwhile, Connor McDavid, one of the brightest stars in the sport, summed it up perfectly—this is “what you dream of.” The countdown is over, the stakes couldn’t be higher, and both teams are ready to make history. The only question now is—who walks away with the bragging rights in the 4 Nations Face-Off?