The anticipation surrounding the 4 Nations Face-Off final between Canada and the United States reached a boiling point Thursday—not just because of the hockey, but because of yet another politically charged remark from U.S. President Donald Trump.
What was meant to be a showcase of elite NHL talent ahead of the league’s return to the 2026 Olympics has now become an arena for political jabs, escalating tensions between the two neighboring nations. Trump’s latest salvo? A social media post suggesting, once again, that Canada should become America’s 51st state.
A Presidential Poke at Canada
Early Thursday, Trump took to Truth Social to cheer on the U.S. squad—but not without stirring the pot.
“I’ll be calling our great American Hockey Team this morning to spur them on towards victory tonight against Canada,” Trump wrote. “I won’t be at the game because I’ll be speaking with governors in Washington. We will all be watching, and if Governor Trudeau would like to join us, he would be most welcome.”
Yes, you read that correctly—Governor Trudeau.
Not to be outdone, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt later doubled down:
“We look forward to the United States beating our soon-to-be 51st state, Canada.”
Needless to say, those comments didn’t exactly go over well north of the border. While Canadians may dismiss them as Trumpian bluster, there’s no denying that his words have added an extra layer of drama to a tournament that was initially meant to be a warm-up for international hockey’s biggest stage.
A Presidential Pep Talk
True to his word, Trump did call the U.S. team ahead of the game. The plan was for a Zoom call, but due to technical difficulties, they settled for a speakerphone chat through U.S. general manager Bill Guerin’s phone.
U.S. defenseman Brock Faber summed it up:
“It was cool, right? It’s the president of the United States. When you’re a kid, you don’t really think that that’s ever going to be a possibility.”
According to Faber, Trump’s message was simple:
“Just have fun, enjoy it.”
Fellow U.S. forward J.T. Miller echoed the sentiment:
“It was pretty cool. So awesome to hear the support. It’s a pretty big deal for him to take time out of his schedule to talk to us for five minutes.”
Zach Werenski, another U.S. defenseman, noted that Trump didn’t mention his 51st state comment during the call but did share some golf stories instead.
“It was cool to get the call,” added U.S. defenseman Noah Hanifin. “Hopefully, we can get the win tonight for our country and for Trump.”
More Than Just a Hockey Game
Regardless of the final score, this 4 Nations Face-Off has become more than just a tournament—it’s now a political spectacle. While the players stick to hockey, the rhetoric around them continues to turn up the heat.
And whether Canada remains a sovereign nation or finds itself forcefully photoshopped into the U.S. flag (at least in Trump’s imagination), one thing is certain: when the puck drops, this will be more than just a game.
