A lot of the talk over the last week-plus over the course of the 4 Nations Face-Off – and that’s if you put aside all of the geopolitical chatter all over social media – has been about the Americans closing the gap on Canada when it comes to best-on-best hockey. And that’s true in a lot of ways.

• Subscribe to FloHockey To Watch The ECHL, AHL, And More
  
• Connor McDavid Scores Overtime Winner In 4 Nations Face-Off Final
• Here Are The 4 Nations Face Off Rosters Including Team Canada
• USA Vs. Canada Hockey All Time Results, Best Moments In Best-On-Best Events
• See The Latest On The 2025 NHL Draft

The United States played more than 60 minutes against Canada and matched them stride for stride. In some instances, especially early in overtime, Team USA was the better side.

But there is one thing that Canada has always had in rich supply. The one thing the U.S. has never really had. It seems that no matter the year, no matter the setting, Canada will have the market cornered on the best player in the world.

The last two times the U.S. has gotten close to breaking through and getting that first critical win over Canada since the 1996 World Cup of Hockey, the difference in the game has been that Canada had the best player in the world at that time and the U.S. did not.

In 2010, it was Sidney Crosby’s iconic golden goal that ended the Vancouver Olympics, saving the country from going into hysterics over a possible loss to their biggest rival on the biggest stage at home.

In 2024, in a tournament with less prestige but – based on the way people talked about this game – all the attention, Connor McDavid was left alone in the high slot and fired home the winning goal.

This sweet angle of McDavid's game-winner 😮‍💨

(via @NHL) pic.twitter.com/TcKp2bQVRE

— ESPN (@espn) February 21, 2025

McDavid even admitted he didn’t have his best game before that goal. But there’s that thing that seems to happen when you put the maple leaf on the chest of the game’s best players. It might as well be Superman’s S. 

Hockey is Canada’s national game. It would make sense that their very best athletes are going to play the most popular national game. That’s not true of other countries where soccer may reign supreme, or football in the United States.

But you go through all of history and the world’s best player of this sport has always been Canadian.

Howie Morenz, Rocket Richard, Gordie Howe, Bobby Orr, Wayne Gretzky, Mario Lemieux, Sidney Crosby, Connor McDavid. USA, Russia, Sweden and Finland have had some of the game’s all-time greats. They’ve had players that have won MVP awards and hoisted multiple Stanley Cups and owned their position.

But they have never had the best player in the world for maybe more than a season.

We often use the players listed above as shorthand for the era during which they played to speak of that era in total. They’re ubiquitous in that way. 

Sure, you’ll have Alex Ovechkin topple Gretzky’s goal record, you’ll get Patrick Kane or Henrik Sedin winning a Hart Trophy. But the eras have not been defined by those players as much as whoever the best Canadian was. 

Hockey is a team sport. It is not controlled by one player. If it was, Connor McDavid would have a few Stanley Cups by now and Crosby would have a few more. But in the last 15 years, at the exact right moment with the world watching, they delivered.

The ground that has been gained by the United States very well could lead to Olympic gold medals, perhaps as soon as Milan Cortina in 2026. When the Olympics roll around next February, it will be 30 years since the U.S. has won a tournament of any consequence, 46 since the 1980 Miracle on Ice. 

Team USA will have learned a lot from this 4 Nations experience. Perhaps they’ll be healthier by then, too. But there’s one thing we already know they won’t have.

For the foreseeable future, Canada’s richest resource will remain unsurpassed.

The Best Player In The World is still Made in Canada.

Watch AHL, ECHL, USHL And More On FloHockey

FloHockey is the streaming home to some of the best hockey leagues in North America, including the AHL, ECHL and more. Check out the broadcast schedule to watch more hockey.

NHL Prospect Coverage On FloHockey

The best, and most complete, coverage of the NHL minor league hockey and NHL Draft is found on FloHockey. Don't miss the latest new prospect guides, rankings and more from Chris Peters and the FloHockey staff.

Join The Hockey Conversation On FloHockey Social

• Follow us on Twitter @FloHockey
• Follow us on Instagram @flohockey
• Follow us on TikTok @flohockeytv
• Watch us on YouTube
• Like us on Facebook