HC Jon Cooper makes his feelings known about Canada's 4 Nations win over rival USA

Team Canada coach Jon Cooper hailed their 4 Nations Face-Off championship win and expressed his pride in the players. Cooper addressed the media in a post-game press conference on Thursday.

"I just hope Canada is proud, because every player in that room is proud to be a Canadian," Canada coach Jon Cooper said via Sportsnet. "Did we need a win? Not only our team, but Canada needed a win. The players bear that on their shoulders and they took it seriously. This one was different. This wasn't a win for themselves. This was a win for 40-plus million people, and the guys knew it, and they delivered."

Connor McDavid's overtime goal sealed a 3-2 win against the USA.

Speaking to the media before the game, Cooper had expressed confidence in his players and their drive to win.

“We built this team to win and everybody's going to have to chip in in their own ways," Cooper added. "Some chip in in some games; some chip in others and some chip in in all of them, and they've all been a big part of why we're sitting here.”

The win comes amid politically charged, tense US-Canada relations. In the past few weeks, US President Donald Trump has repeatedly expressed his opinion about making Canada the 51st US state. He imposed heavy tariffs on Canadian imports to the USA before suspending them temporarily.

Canadian sports fans had responded by booing whenever the US national anthem was sung at sports events.

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Jon Cooper downplays US-Canada political tension at 4 Nations

Before the game, Cooper shrugged off a question about whether he thought US-Canada politics would be motivating the players.

“I don't. I mean, other than the fact that talk of the 51st state and then somebody saying, ‘Wow, we'd have one hell of a hockey team.” Cooper said. “But you know, let's be honest. You'd never get what's going to be contested tonight.”

Outgoing Canadian PM Justin Trudeau took a dig at the US President after the game.

"You can't take our country - and you can't take our game," Trudeau posted on X (formerly Twitter).

President Trump reportedly called to wish the US players good luck before Thursday's championship game. He also posted that he would be watching the game on his Truth Social account.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt had also told reporters during a briefing on Thursday that Trump would be “watching for the United States to win.”