Millions of Canadians jumped for joy on Thursday night as Canada bested the United States in the 4 Nations Face-Off final.
The 10-day NHL tournament, featuring Canada, the U.S., Sweden, and Finland, was intended to be a preview for the league’s return to the Winter Olympics next year. But as fate would have it, the 4 Nations Face-Off took on a deeper political tone as it coincided with American President Donald Trump repeatedly threatening heavy tariffs on Canada and suggesting the country could become the 51st state.
As a result, North America’s biggest sports rivalry was taken to a new level, with fans on both sides booing each other’s national anthems. Unsurprisingly, matchups between Canada and the U.S. were heated and hard-hitting, with plenty of physical play.
In the end, though, Canada got the last laugh as superstar forward Connor McDavid sealed the deal with an epic overtime winner in Boston, clinching a 3-2 victory and setting off celebrations across the country.
Once the result was in, hockey fans wasted no time rubbing it in.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau got the ball rolling, dishing out a not-so-subtle jab at Trump with the following post.
From there, the internet ran with it, and the memes were absolutely ruthless.
One Instagram user joked that Trump’s proposed tariffs would be based on Canada’s performance on the ice.
Over on X, Sportsnet producer Matt Morgan shared the following edited map of Mexico featuring the “Gulf of Crosby,” as an homage to Canada’s captain.
“We won, so we get to choose the name,” he wrote, referring to the executive order signed by Trump upon his return to the White House in January, where he renamed the Gulf of Mexico the “Gulf of America.”
Bestselling Canadian author Jeffrey Luscombe also had no problem being a sore winner, reminding Americans of the final score.
Over-the-top AI-generated images also started rolling in.
One included Trump in a Canadian hockey jersey.
Another featured McDavid portrayed as a messianic figure.
And with annexation talks continuing to make headlines, there were also plenty of remarks from Canadians referring to the U.S. as the “11th province.”
At the end of the day, this was clearly more than just an in-season tournament. It was a statement victory, and the online reaction made that very clear.
As Canada’s head coach Jon Cooper put it in his postgame press conference:
“We needed a win. Not only our team, but Canada needed a win.”
