The anticipation building over the USA-Canada tilt at the 4 Nations Face-Off could not be greater. But Team USA have found themselves facing an early hurdle even before the puck drop. The players are intently concentrating on what has the makings of being the toughest match of the competition. However, an unobtrusive but almost inevitable variable has entered the equation. That is, the NHL has assigned a Canadian refereeing crew to work the hotly anticipated bout.

For a match already charged with emotion, news that both referees, Gord Dwyer and Jean Hebert, happen to be Canadian has sent shockwaves through the hearts of fans across the United States. The implications of the match are beyond table positions; it’s one of national pride, heritage, and dominance on the international stage. Already under scrutiny by the crowd in Montreal, the last thing Team USA had any need for was an officiating crew that could tilt the momentum—even if unconsciously.

Dwyer and Hebert, being both veteran referees but Canadians, will surely raise questions. History has witnessed cases where refereeing decisions have changed the course of important contests. Whether it comes down to penalty calls, power play opportunities, or enforcement of physical play, any whistle has the power to swing momentum in this kind of game.

While the players themselves have not spoken up about this matter yet, fans have weighed in. Since this will be the ultimate test for Team USA during the competition so far, the scrutiny over every move only intensifies. In a rivalry that has produced some of the greatest, most charged moments ever seen in the sport, the teams have set the stage for the latest, tense addition.

USA vs. Canada: a four-decade rivalry fueled by conflict

Beyond the minor irritation of the refereeing team, the match between Team USA and Team Canada has all the ingredients it needs to become an instant classic. Both nations’ players realize the magnitude of the match, one that USA forward Dylan Larkin has referred to as “the biggest game” of his career.

“Just watching them as a child, my family, it’s Christmas, it’s the Super Bowl, you know, it’s just one of those events,” said Larkin. “To get included, on an evening, you know, on a Saturday evening, in Montreal, it’s perfect. It’s just fantastic,” he added, describing the thoughts of many of his peers.

The USA-Canada rivalry has always been one of legend. From the iconic gold medal final at the 2010 Winter Games, when Sidney Crosby’s “Golden Goal” assured him an entry in the history books, to the fiery exchanges across World Juniors, any match featuring these two nations has that added dimension.

Brady Tkachuk has waited for this type of game throughout his career. “It’s going to be the biggest game that I’ve ever played in my career, I think.” USA vs. Canada encompasses more than just those playing the game. “There’s so many people past, present, down the road, it touches.” “We’ve talked so much about this game, especially.” “It’s going to be a couple days, it feels, waiting, but it’ll be fun,” he said.

On Canada’s end, Connor McDavid has spoken of the rivalry’s historical context as a “big game” that has always intrigued him. His journey from watching the final gold medal match of 2010, as a future Team Canada captain and current alternate captain, is one that’s come full circle.

The history here makes this one more than just an exhibition round-robin affair—it’s an epic battle for supremacy. Team Canada has an unprecedented 26-game win streak in these best-on-best competitions going back to 2010. Team USA, on the other hand, sees this tournament as an opportunity to prove that their best-ever assembled team has enough ability to topple the Canadians at last.

With emotions running hot and the stakes even higher, Team USA has to play past the noise—be it the Montreal crowd and their boos, as well as any questions surrounding refereeing—to focus intently on one objective: defeating Canada. The rivalry has seldom ever burned hotter. And on an evening where history may perhaps receive an unexpected chapter, the Americans are determined to capitalize. One thing, though, is certain—whatever transpires on the ice, fans will talk about this game for many, many years.