Boston • The U.S. men’s national ice hockey team sat in the locker room at TD Garden, listening to someone deliver a pregame message over the phone.
It was the President of the United States, Donald Trump.
“Definitely a little bit of a surprise, but a cool moment for sure,” said Team USA and Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski. “I feel like for our group, we’re proud Americans and we want to make the country proud. To just hear from him was awesome.”
With the 4 Nations Face-Off championship on Thursday night against Canada, Team USA was gearing up for a fierce contest against its biggest rival.
While the United States and Canada have been long-standing rivals on the international hockey stage, recent comments from Trump have added political tension to the matchup.
Since returning to the White House for his second term, Trump has commented about making Canada the “51st state” and eliminating the 5,525-mile-long border separating the two countries.
Team USA general manager Bill Guerin — who is also the GM of the Minnesota Wild — went on Fox News on Monday and said his team would be happy to see Trump in the stands during Thursday’s championship in Boston. While the president could not make the trip, he made sure to talk to the group.
“I’ll be calling our GREAT American Hockey Team this morning to spur them on towards victory tonight against Canada, which with FAR LOWER TAXES AND MUCH STRONGER SECURITY, will someday, maybe soon, become our cherished, and very important, Fifty First State,” Trump wrote on Truth Social Thursday morning.
“I will be speaking before the Governors tonight in D.C., and will sadly, therefore, be unable to attend. But we will all be watching, and if Governor Trudeau would like to join us, he would be most welcome. Good luck to everybody, and have a GREAT game tonight. So exciting! PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP”
(Eric Lee | The New York Times) President Donald Trump speaks at the National Prayer Breakfast at the U.S. Capitol in Washington on Thursday morning, Feb. 6, 2025.
Werenski said Trump “left out” any mention of turning Canada into the 51st state on the phone call with Team USA and instead wished the team luck.
“Said they’re all cheering us on. They’re going to be watching tonight. Told some stories about golf and some other things,” Werenski said. “Half the call wasn’t even about hockey, it was just him talking. I kind of blacked out a little bit just listening to him talk.”
Setting aside their president’s political agenda, Team USA was looking to assert dominance on the ice against a Canadian team that has historically come out on top in best-on-best tournaments.
Canada clinched the gold medal during the 2002 Olympic Games in Salt Lake City with a 5-2 win over the USA. Jarome Iginla — who is the father of top Utah Hockey Club prospect Tij Iginla — scored twice in that game. Canada went on to beat USA 3-2 in overtime during the 2010 Olympics for gold and also won gold at the 2014 Olympics — the last time NHL players were allowed to participate — after beating USA in the semifinals.
(Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune) Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski (8) slips in the game winning 3-2 puck past Utah Hockey Club goaltender Karel Vejmelka (70) in overtime during an NHL hockey game at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Friday, Jan. 31, 2025.
Team USA said that context was more of what was fueling it on Thursday.
“I think politics aside, these guys are hockey players,” Team USA and Pittsburgh Penguins coach Mike Sullivan said. “They love to play hockey, they love to compete and they have a certain pride with respect to their country. I think that is the motivation and the inspiration to bring out the best in each individual in our room.”
Werenski agreed with that sentiment.
“I think for us, it’s just focusing on hockey. We’ve waited a long time for these games, for these best-on-best tournaments,” he said. “We obviously know what’s going on politically in the world right now. For us in the room, we really don’t think about it too much. We don’t talk about it. We just want to go out there, play the best that we can and make our country proud.”
Pittsburgh Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan, center, disagrees with a referee's call during the third period of an NHL hockey game against the Minnesota Wild in Pittsburgh, Thursday, April 6, 2023. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)
Saturday’s game between Team USA and Canada garnered 10.1 million viewers across North America which, per the NHL, was up 203% from the USA vs. Canada game at the 2016 World Cup of Hockey. It also exceeded any non-Stanley Cup Final Game since 2014.
The 4 Nations Face-Off has, evidently, caught the attention of the country and beyond. It is a matter of pride for these two teams and the call from Trump only reinforced the importance of the matchup for the USA.
“It was a distinct honor. Politics aside, when the president of the United States takes the time to speak to our players — it’s an incredible honor. I think it’s an indication, once again, of the impact this tournament has had on people in the United States. People are paying attention,” Sullivan said.
“I think there’s a certain pride when you have the opportunity to represent your country — you become part of something bigger than yourself. And that’s a special feeling. I think all of us feel the responsibility associated with that.”
