U.S. President Donald Trump says he’ll watch the Canadians and Americans battle for a win in the 4 Nations Face-Off final tonight, and suggested for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to join him in D.C.
Referring to Trudeau as “governor,” the U.S. president made the remark on Truth Social Thursday. Trump said he won’t be able to attend the game in-person but vowed to call the U.S. team to “spur them on towards victory.”
The tournament – which brought together players from Canada, the U.S., Sweden and Finland – will come to a head at 8 p.m. when Canada and the U.S. face off in the final.
It’s the second game the two teams have played against each other. Last Saturday, the Americans beat the Canadians 3-1 in a dynamic, high-intensity head-to-head.
The all-star teams share a healthy rivalry at the best of times, but this event has become a microcosm of tensions between the two countries off the ice. Trump’s repeated threat of tariffs, annexation and general nose-thumbing against Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has raised the temperature to a feverish pitch.
Canadian fans have made headlines for booing the American anthem. During the first Canada-U.S. game, players fought, not once but three times, before the clock measured ten seconds.
In his post, Trump said again he’d like to rule over Canada, saying it “will someday, maybe soon, become our cherished, and very important, Fifty First State.”
He’s called Trudeau a governor several times – this time perhaps inferring the prime minister would be an appropriate addition to his watch party. Trump won’t make the game in-person tonight because he’s due to address a group of state governors, he said.
Trump tells players to ‘enjoy the journey’
The president reached the players in their locker room today.
It was supposed to be a video call, but technical issues meant Trump had to address the players on speakerphone.
“Billy just put a phone in the middle of the room,” said Dylan Larkin, who plays centre for the Detroit Red Wings in the regular season. “Billy” likely refers to the U.S. team’s general manager, Bill Guerin.
Team USA received a call from the President this morning to wish them luck ahead of tonight’s #4Nations championship game. pic.twitter.com/he1kIgUVGW
— USA Hockey (@usahockey) February 20, 2025
“It was pretty quick,” said the Minnesota Wild’s Brock Faber. He told reporters that the president told the team to “have fun … enjoy the journey, the pride of wearing the red, white and blue.”
Both players were asked if the political hostility outside the rink has seeped indoors, and both said it hadn’t.
“The U.S.A. and Canada have always hated each other on the ice,” said Faber. “When you’re born in Canada as a hockey player, its all you know … and same with a hockey player wearing red, white and blue.”
“It’s always just been a rivalry,” he said.
