Connor McDavid says those who played for Team Canada at the Olympics before him represented the country well, and he hopes to do the same. Although he didn't want to get into the geopolitical backdrop, it's clear this men's hockey final is more than a game.
MILAN, Italy - On Friday, Wayne Gretzky was asked by CBC's James Duthie about the "massive subplot" bubbling beneath the surface of yet another gold medal game at the Olympics featuring Canada against the U.S., and the Great One, who was wearing a Canada flag pin on his suit lapel, answered in a way that had to be assuring to most Canadians.
"Listen, I'm a hockey player. I'm a Canadian. I'm a true Canadian. I want Canada to win a gold medal. I never wavered from that," said Gretzky. "I am friends with presidents and prime ministers. Somehow, as you said, there's a little bit more tension than normal.
"At the end of the day, Canada and the U.S. are like brothers and sisters. They're going to fight and argue, but eventually you come together, right? And that's the way I see it."
When asked a variation of the same question on the eve of Sunday's gold medal final at the Olympics, Team Canada's Connor McDavid took a more diplomatic approach.
"I'm not going to get into all that," said McDavid. "This is a hockey game."
McDavid is sorta right.
Yes, this is a hockey game. But it's so much more than that. After all, you don't wheel TVs into classrooms across the country for just another hockey game.
For Canada, which won in each of the past two Olympics where NHLers participated (2010 and 2014), as well as the 2016 World Cup of Hockey and last year's 4 Nations Face-Off, this is yet another opportunity to show the world that this is their sport. There might not be 51st state on the line. But for a hockey-crazed country that treats hockey like a birthright, there is a responsibility to hold onto what is theirs.
"As Canadians, we take a lot of pride in this sport," said McDavid. "The guys who came before us did a great job of representing the country. I think we've played good hockey and put ourselves in a good spot to hopefully do the same."
For the U.S., which fell short by an overtime goal in 2010 and at last year's 4 Nations, it's the opposite. This might not be "their" sport, but at the same time, the U.S. is trying their hardest to take it over just the same. They want what Canada has achieved. And they're prepared to grab it any way they can.
"There's hatred there," said Brady Tkachuk. "A lot of guys could say this is the biggest game they've ever played in."
"Best on best. It's what every American and Canadian grows up watching, grows up hearing about," added Matthew Tkachuk. "This is the pinnacle of the sport. This is as good as it gets, and a rivalry that's as good as it gets. There will be not one TV without this game on in the United States and in Canada — and that should get you pretty fired up."
Indeed, this is the final we expected — and had hoped for.
Canada and the U.S. headed into the Olympics as the two most dominant countries when it comes to men's hockey. And if the past week has shown us anything, both countries have lived up to the hype. There is very little separating the two teams.
Canada and the U.S. each went a perfect 5-0 in the tournament.
Canada outscored their opponents 27-8 and outshot them 201-106. The U.S. outscored their opponents 24-8 and outshot them 201-116.
"They look very strong," said McDavid. "They have a very good back end, they've got a great goaltender, they're strong up front. It's Team USA. They've got great players everywhere and so do we. It's going to be a great game."
What kind of game it will be is anyone's guess. It should be fast and skilled and close, but if the 4 Nations are an indication, it could also be really physical and nasty, even.
"It's a matchup that everyone wanted, right?" said Canada's Tom Wilson. "Both teams know what each other is going to bring. It's going to be everything we have. To have the privilege and opportunity to make our country proud is all we can ask for. We're going to leave it all out there."
Added Team USA coach Mike Sullivan: "The history of the sport is important, and in particular, in this instance, the history of American hockey is important. We tried to bring it to their attention, because I think what it does is it heightens the opportunity that we have. It's a privilege to be here. It's an honor to represent your nation."
Indeed, this is a game that should go down in history. If the U.S. wins, it would be their first Olympic gold in men's hockey since 1980.
"When you think about over the last 100-plus years... There's been two gold medals," Sullivan said. "The first medal was in 1960. There were 16 players on the roster: two goalies, four defensemen, 10 forwards. In 1980, there were 20 players on the roster. So when you think about it in those terms, there's 36 American-born hockey players that have gold medals. What an incredible opportunity we have in front of us."
Conversely, if Canada loses, it could put a stain on the Hall of Fame resumes of both players and coaches.
"We know what's at stake here," said Canada coach Jon Cooper. "We know there's 40 million people at home at the edge of their seat. I just want them to know that it wasn’t easy to get here."
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