Not even a fiction writer could’ve written a better buildup to the upcoming Team USA vs. Canada clash at the 4 Nations Face-Off. The bad blood that started with Canadian fans’ boos during NHL games after President Trump’s ’51st state’ comments, came to a head during Saturday’s U.S. vs. Canada clash. While J. T. Miller’s Team USA emerged victorious, whoever wins Thursday’s upcoming rematch will have the final laugh.

So, it’s safe to say the U.S. vs. Canada final, set for February 20, has all the ingredients to be an even bigger event than their round-robin clash at the Four Nations. Naturally, the upcoming clash of titans has put some NHL players in an interesting position. Stars such as 22-year-old Matt Rempe find themselves connected to both teams. However, at least for Rempe, there’s only one clear answer.

Matt Rempe has already picked a side

Not one to shy away from throwing off the gloves, Rempe loved watching three fights in the opening nine seconds. “That was the coolest thing… I wanted to run through a wall,” Rempe said. However, even when his Rangers’ teammate J.T. Miller took on Team Canada’s Colton Parayko, the 22-year-old had no conflict of allegiance. He rooted for Canada.

“I’m watching all the fellas, hope they do good,” Rempe said as per the New York Times. “But I want Canada to win. I want Canada to win big time. One hundred percent,” added the New York Rangers center. However, not every Canadian New York Ranger has such black-and-white allegiances to either NHL their team or their nation at the 4 Nations Face-Off.

Rempe’s teammate Sam Carrick explained that during Saturday’s game, he was cheering for specific players, instead of either USA or Canada. J.T. Miller was one of them. Carrick also loved the three back-to-back fights involving Miller, Matthew, and Brady Tkachuk vs. Parayko, Brandon Hagel, and Sam Bennett of Canada. In fact, Carrick even praised Miller.

“That’s why we brought him here, I believe. We love that stuff, and that’s a guy you want on your team,” the 33-year-old NHL player said about this New York Rangers teammate. However, things have changed quite drastically for the team since Saturday’s clash. Team USA’s situation has devolved rapidly.

Things look precarious for J.T. Miller and Co.

Team USA has faced significant injury hurdles after defeating their rivals. Coach Mike Sullivan made some big changes to the lineup ahead of the final round-robin game, against his team and Sweden. Stars such as Matthew Tkachuk, Auston Matthews, and Charlie McAvoy sat out the game. Sullivan decided to bench the players to give them some rest.

Matthew Tkachuk had picked up a lower-body injury, so Sullivan didn’t want to take any risks. However, these precautions didn’t help as things went sideways for J.T. Miller and company while taking on Sweden. Besides losing the match, Brady Tkachuk smashed into the goal post, injuring his thigh in the process and joined his brother at the bench.

Coach Sullivan remained hopeful. “We’ll see how it responds… But I don’t anticipate it being an issue,” the 56-year-old said about Brady Tkachuk after the game. However, Team USA’s woes didn’t end there. Charlie McAvoy, who was supposed to rest, had to be admitted to the hospital and has been ruled out of the final.

Although Quinn Hughes is slated to fill that gap, he’ll barely have time to practice with the team. However, despite the hurdles, Team USA’s spirits remain high. “I mean, I’m not a doctor. But I’m sure a lot of those guys will be playing on Thursday,” Jack Hughes said about his teammates. Will J.T. Miller and Co. prevail on Thursday? Tell us your views in the comments.