5 best Canada vs. USA games in international hockey history 

Team Canada will play Team USA in the 4 Nations Championship Game on Thursday in Boston. The tournament was the return of best-on-best hockey which fans and players have been calling for. Ahead of the championship, here are the five best Canada vs. USA games in best-on-best history.

5 best Canada vs. USA games in international hockey

#5 Canada-USA 4 Nations

Perhaps it is recency bias but the Canada vs. USA game in the round-robin of the 4 Nations Face-Off was a game players had been waiting nine years for.

Right from the get-go, it lived up to the hype, as Matthew Tkachuk fought Brandon Hagel after the opening drop of the puck. There were three fights in nine seconds to open the game.

“That first game was such a great hockey game,” U.S. coach Mike Sullivan said, via NHL.com. “I think it’s great for hockey that there’s an opportunity for these two teams to meet again. Obviously, both teams have star power all around the lineup. It was a very competitive hockey game the first game. I would anticipate the next one will be every bit as competitive, if not more.”

USA won the first game 3-1 and will now rematch in the championship.

#4 1996 World Cup Final, Game 1

The 1996 World Cup saw plenty of great Canada vs. USA matchups and Game 1 of the series was one of the best.

The finals was a best-of-three and Canada opened up the series with a 4-3 OT win. It was a back-and-forth game, and with Canada winning the opener, many assumed it was a lock Canada would end up winning the World Cup.

#3 1996 World Cup Final, Game 3

The third game of the series was also stellar. USA won the second game 5-2 to force a winner-take-all Game 3.

In Game 3, Canada led 2-1 with just over three minutes left in the third. However, backed by tournament MVP Mike Richter in net, USA scored four times in the final 3:18 to rally to win 5-2 and won the World Cup.

#2 2002 Olympic Gold Medal Game

The 2002 Olympics saw Canada and USA play in the gold medal game. Canada ended up winning 5-2 but the game was much closer and better than the score indicates.

Team USA opened up the scoring, but Canada scored twice late in the first. The USA tied the game but Canada scored three unanswered goals to get the win.

The game featured one of the best Canadian hockey rosters ever.

#1 2010 Olympic Gold Medal Game

The USA unexpectedly defeated Canada in the round-robin at the 2010 Olympics. They then faced off in the Gold Medal Game. Canada scored first, leading 1-0 after the first period. After taking a 2-0 lead midway through the second period, Canada appeared to have sealed the victory. However, before the second period ended, the States responded.

Then, with just 25 seconds left in the game, Zach Parise tied the game to force OT. In overtime, on home ice in Vancouver, Jarome Iginla passed the puck to Sidney Crosby who scored the OT winner to give Canada the gold medal.