"Winner keeps Canada": US Senator Ted Cruz pens a message for Team USA ahead of 4 Nations Final against Canada

US Senator Ted Cruz delivered a motivational message for Team USA ahead of the 4 Nations Face-Off final on Thursday night at the TD Garden in Boston.

Cruz posted these encouraging words for the American squad:

“Let’s go Team USA!!!”

However, the subtext behind his comments poked fun at the controversial message sent by President Donald Trump.

Senator Cruz added:

“Winner keeps Canada.”

The laughing emojis underscore the playful nature of his comments. However, there is a significant element of national pride behind Cruz’s words as both Team Canada and Team USA are playing for the bragging rights that come with winning the first best-on-best tournament since the 2014 Sochi Olympics.

Team USA won the first meeting with Canada 3-1 last Saturday night at the Bell Centre in Montreal. The game was highlighted by three fights in the first 10 seconds of action. The intense nature of the US-Canada rivalry has only increased, particularly with the political backdrop stemming from President Trump’s policies.

Politics aside, the 4 Nations Face-Off final promises to be another classic in the long history of international tournaments. While the winner of the 4 Nations Face-Off will not “keep Canada,” the winner will certainly get to keep the title and a shiny trophy until the next edition rolls around.

Matthew Tkachuk to return for Team USA ahead of 4 Nations final

Matthew Tkachuk will be in the lineup for Team USA at the 4 Nations Final despite missing his team’s last game against Team Sweden. Having been involved in the thick of things against Canada last Saturday night, Tkachuk has been dealing with a lower-body injury sustained during the game.

While the injury was not considered to be serious, Tkachuk missed his team's last game as a precautionary measure. Regardless of his injury, Tkachuk wants to play as he’s aware there’s a lot more at stake than just the 4 Nations Face-Off title.

NHL.com quoted Tkachuk as stating:

“Whether you like hockey or not, I think our team has helped grow the game here in this country already. I think a win could just knock that door right down and open up a whole new wave of hockey players across the country."

Indeed, winning the 4 Nations Face-Off could go a long way toward inspiring young fans to take up hockey. With warriors like Matthew Tkachuk playing through injuries, there’s a very good chance that hockey, and the NHL, will continue to gain popularity among the other major sports in the United States.

Even if the American side loses the 4 Nations Face-Off final, fans will be treated to one of the most exciting sporting events this year.