Sidney Crosby's childhood coach reflects on rollercoaster of emotions during 4 Nations hockey night 

Sidney Crosby's childhood coach Paul Mason reflects on the rollercoaster of emotions he experienced during Team Canada's 3-2 overtime win against the USA in the 4 Nations final on Thursday night.

Mason has spent 46 years coaching minor hockey and baseball in Cole Harbour, Nova Scotia, mentoring several high-profile NHL players, including Sidney Crosby.

On Thursday, Mason was watching the game with his current Cole Harbour peewee team, who were taking a break from their tournament to see Crosby and Team Canada take on the Americans.

As game time approached, the energy in the room was palpable. The kids cheered for every Canadian player shown on screen and booed the Americans. They proudly sang "O Canada" before the opening faceoff. Throughout the game, the Cole Harbour kids led chants like "Let's go Crosby!" and "You can't do that!" to the USA.

"I thoroughly enjoyed the uncomfortable feeling in my stomach as the tight contest unfolded," Mason said on NHL.com.

The room exploded when Nathan MacKinnon opened the scoring for Canada.

"What a feeling. The kids were jumping up and down, cheering enthusiastically," said Mason.

But the mood quickly changed when the USA tied the score and sank lower when Jake Sanderson put the Americans ahead.

"You could feel the increased tension in the room, which quickly turned to joy when Sam Bennett tied it 2-2."

In the third period and overtime, the tension was only interrupted by "Go Canada Go" chants.

"Everyone was on the edge of their seats every time a player entered the offensive zone," Mason said. "There were several times in OT when people would flail their arms and gasp, particularly when Jordan Binnington made some spectacular saves."

"No matter whether you are political or not, this game carried some meaning if you are a fan of hockey," Mason concluded.

It was a rollercoaster of emotions, but ultimately one of great pride and joy for Canadians as Sidney Crosby's childhood coach and community watched him lead Team Canada to gold.

Sidney Crosby's childhood coach Paul Mason on the importance of the Canada vs USA game

Sidney Crosby's childhood coach Paul Mason spoke about the importance of the Canada vs USA game for the young players he currently coaches.

"I doubt the kids from our team really know the significance of the game in these political times," said Mason.

"I would’ve had the same lack of understanding watching the Summit Series in 1972 when I was a young boy. Either way it was the stepping stone of the many Canada, best-on-best, hockey clashes the young players will experience.”

Though the young Cole Harbour players may not fully grasp the political implications, Mason said this Canada vs USA game represents an important milestone in their hockey fandom.

Getting to watch Sidney Crosby and other stars from their hometown compete against the Americans certainly made it a memorable event for hockey fans, young and old.