In the news today: Canada triumphs over US in 4 Nations final

Here is a roundup of stories from The Canadian Press designed to bring you up to speed…

Canada triumphs over US in 4 Nations final

Canada defeated its archrival the United States 3-2 in overtime in the 4 Nations Face-Off final on Thursday night in what was an emotionally-charged affair for players and fans alike.

The rematch between the two sides was intense, although it did not consist of three fights in the opening nine seconds, as the preliminary round game in Montreal did last Saturday, a 3-1 win for the Americans.

Connor McDavid scored the game winner, while Nathan MacKinnon and Sam Bennett scored in regulation for Canada. Brady Tkachuk and Jake Sanderson replied for the U.S.

The Canadian national anthem was booed loudly ahead of the game. Jeers rang around TD Garden when Chantal Kreviazuk began “O Canada” despite a request by the arena’s public address announcer for respect.

Meanwhile, “The Star-Spangled Banner” was then sung in full voice by the sold-out building for the championship game of an event that’s a table-setter for the NHL’s Olympic return in 2026.

Following the victory, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, saying, “You can’t take our country — and you can’t take our game.”

Here’s what else we’re watching…

Fans across Canada celebrate 4 Nations win

Elated fans across the country are celebrating Canada’s victory over the United States in the hotly-anticipated 4 Nations Face-Off final.

Against a politically-charged backdrop, Canada’s Connor McDavid scored the winner in a spectacular overtime finish against the country’s fierce North American rival Thursday night in Boston.

Hundreds of fans exploded out of their seats at YVR Greta in Vancouver, hugging each other and shouting “Canada! Canada! Canada!” after McDavid beat U.S. goalie Connor Hellebuyck with a winning shot over his left shoulder.

Canadian pride was off the charts at Peel Pub in downtown Montreal, where rowdy celebrations in the packed bar led to beer glasses smashing all over the floor. In Calgary, fans hung around at Last Best Brewing & Distilling to sing “O Canada” one last time.

It wasn’t enough that the one-off men’s hockey tournament marked the return of top NHL stars after nearly a decade away from high-level international play.

“I am the proudest I’ve been of my country for quite a long time,” said Marcus McKlein in Montreal, who was decked in red and waving a Canadian flag despite admittedly not knowing much about hockey.

70% of Canadians support retaliatory tariffs: poll

Seventy per cent of Canadians are in favour of dollar-for-dollar retaliatory tariffs on the United States, a new poll suggests.

Nearly half of respondents to the Leger poll — 45 per cent — said they were strongly in favour of such tariffs, while 25 per cent said they were somewhat in favour.

U.S. President Donald Trump has pledged to impose steep tariffs on imports from Canada and other countries.

He has announced plans to implement a number of different tariff measures and signed executive orders to impose 25 per cent tariffs on all steel and aluminum imports starting March 12. Earlier this month, he paused his stated plan to hit Canada and Mexico with 25 per cent across-the-board duties, with a lower 10 per cent levy on Canadian energy.

Trump also has repeatedly pushed the idea that Canada should become a U.S. state and in January threatened to use “economic force” to annex Canada.

Canada’s legal route to tariff challenges

If U.S. President Donald Trump imposes tariffs on Canadian goods as he’s repeatedly threated to do, experts say Canada has a strong case to challenge it under the Canada-U.S.-Mexico free trade agreement.

The question, though, is how quickly any decision may come through the process — and more importantly, whether the U.S. would respect any decisions from the outcome.

“A rules-based system is only as good as the willingness of the government who’s subject to it, to comply with it,” said Wendy Wagner, a partner at Gowling WLG.

The free trade agreement is a nation-to-nation agreement, so there’s no one else to appeal to if a country decides not to respect a decision.

America’s past performance on adhering to trade decisions has been mixed. Areas of contention include complicated measures such as figuring out how much foreign content is in an automobile or the long-running softwood lumber dispute.

Ford returns to D.C. in final days of campaigning

Ontario’s main political party leaders are entering the final stretch of their campaigns, with less than a week left until election day.

Liberal Leader Bonnie Crombie is set to make an announcement in Toronto this morning, while NDP Leader Marit Stiles has several stops scheduled in southwestern Ontario.

Progressive Conservative Leader Doug Ford will be absent from the campaign trail, as he heads to Washington, D.C., for the second time during this election campaign.

Ford will be in the U.S. capital for another round of meetings, after travelling there with other premiers about a week ago to push back against U.S. tariff threats.

Green Party Leader Mike Schreiner will attend a local all-candidates debate, then meet with University of Guelph workers and visit the Guelph Muslim Society. He also has meetings with Guelph Mayor Cam Guthrie and local teachers.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 21, 2025.

The Canadian Press