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“Johnny Hockey” : fans at TD Garden honor the memory of Johnny Gaudreau

Tonight, Canada and the United States are facing off in the final of the 4 Nations Confrontation. We have a full hockey game on our hands… and overtime is about to begin.

If you’re not in front of your TV, it’s time to get there.

That being said, at the end of the third period, we had a great moment at the TD Garden. And it happened… in the crowd.

In fact, the fans started chanting “Johnny Hockey” all together.

It was, of course, a way to honor the memory of Johnny Gaudreau, who passed away last summer.

More details to come…

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The coach of Ivan Demidov wants a Russia/United States match in Saudi Arabia

With the success of the 4 Nations Tournament in the NHL, international hockey is currently in vogue. After nearly 10 years without seeing the best players in the world compete to defend their country’s colors, it’s nice to see such a high level of competition again.

There’s an atmosphere that’s really unique.

Your honorary captains for tonight: Wayne Gretzky and Mike Eruzione! : : #4Nations
: @espn & @ESPNPlus → https://t.co/S5tPrXCygm
: @Sportsnet or stream on Sportsnet+ → https://t.co/4KjbdjVctF https://t.co/Puoc5JJPSi
— NHL (@NHL) February 21, 2025

That being said, Russia was not present in this tournament. We know that the country is excluded from international competitions due to the situation in Ukraine… but that doesn’t stop people in Russia from wanting to see their country play international hockey again.

Roman Rotenberg, who is Ivan Demidov’s coach in Russia (and president of the Russian Hockey Federation), is part of this group… and in an interview with Sport-Express (a Russian media outlet), he mentioned an interesting idea: he wants to see a friendly match between Russia and the United States.

He also mentioned the idea of seeing Canada face off against Russia in a friendly match, but he mostly talked about the United States.

What’s interesting, though, is that Rotenberg already has an idea of where this match would take place: he’d like it to happen in Saudi Arabia… and he’s already taken steps in that direction:

We’ve already discussed this with colleagues from the United Arab Emirates. We know they have the Etihad Arena, where UFC fights take place. – Roman Rotenberg

Obviously, this won’t happen overnight… but Rotenberg seems interested in the idea. He wants it to happen in conjunction with the NHL and the hockey federations of Canada and the United States, but clearly, he believes in his project.

Let’s see if it happens, now.

– A big correction in the QMJHL.

Ouch!
Matyas Melovsky has 3 goals and 4 assists so far. https://t.co/HBC2XDHWIt
— Mikaël Lalancette (@MikLalancette) February 21, 2025

– 60th goal this season for Nick Lardis in the OHL.

Less than a week after scoring his last hat-trick, Nick Lardis (CHI) has scored his SIXTH hat-trick of the year to hit 60 (!) goals. Fitting that he did it with yet another one-timer. Lethal.#Blackhawks https://t.co/nszvTDqY6W
— Scott Wheeler (@scottcwheeler) February 21, 2025

– Will he be even more dominant than last year?

He will really be one to watch in 2025. https://t.co/NdCP4nUzo9
— Passion MLB (@passion_mlb) February 21, 2025

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Group conversation: J.T. Miller “hates” that the Tkachuk brothers talked about it

It’s in a few minutes that the grand finale of the 4 Nations Confrontation will begin. For the occasion, we will have the right to a duel between Canada and the United States… and expectations are high.

The duel between the two teams on Saturday night was intense, after all.

In this first duel, what had notably set the tone, was the sequence of three fights in nine seconds to start the match. After the meeting, Matthew Tkachuk had admitted that all of this had been decided in advance in a group conversation between J.T. Miller and the two Tkachuk brothers.

That being said, there is someone who really did not like that all this came out in the media: J.T. Miller. In fact, he even went so far as to say that he “hates” that the Tkachuk brothers spoke about the group conversation.

That’s what he said on the 32 Thoughts Podcast.

 

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Basically, what Miller is saying is that he thinks saying that it was all decided in a group conversation gives the impression that it was all too premeditated. He explains that it was mostly a way for the United States to set the tone and send a message to the Canadian team that the evening would not be easy.

And when you listen to him talk, you can read between the lines that this message was mainly intended for Connor McDavid and Nathan MacKinnon.

That being said, this is not the first time this season that we have heard a locker room story about Miller that is not exactly positive. We know that for several weeks, Elias Pettersson and he were not able to get along in the Canucks’ locker room.

That even forced Vancouver to send Miller to the Rangers.

The big question now is what will happen tonight. Was the famous group conversation active today? Will the physical players of the United States still want to send a message?

The answer in the next few minutes.

In passing

– Josh Morrissey is sick, so he will not play tonight. Thomas Harley will take his place.

– Kyle Connor will be left out tonight. Chris Kreider will be in uniform, however.

– There are a lot of red jerseys at TD Garden tonight.

– Logical.

– Let’s see what happens.

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Tom Brady has put on his skates to cheer on the American team and the result is hilarious

Tom Brady is the GOAT of the NFL.

Winning the Super Bowl seven times like he did… It’s really special.

But even if Brady excelled on a football field, let’s say we can’t say the same thing about him on ice.

The former Patriots and Buccaneers quarterback laced up his skates today to cheer on the American team and the result is hilarious.

And the reason is simple: on ice… Tom Brady is not really good.

The sequence is really funny:

We see him giving some ice skating kicks and let’s just say he doesn’t look like the most comfortable guy, hehe.

What really makes me laugh is seeing his elbow pads worn over his long-sleeved shirt.

He’s got style, old Brady!

No kidding, we also see Tie Domi trying to “fight” Brady in the video. The two athletes then send their respective words of encouragement to their nation and it really gives a good result.

We need more videos like that. But it also shows that athletes in North America are following the 4 Nations Tournament and it helps the NHL promote its sport.

We didn’t think it would work that well. And now, everyone’s talking about tonight’s game between Canada and the US, as if it were an Olympic final or a Stanley Cup final.

The NHL really pulled it off.

In a hurry

— That’s what I was saying!

— Oh 😐

— Go, Sid!

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The son of Patrick Roy : “My father gets along very well with Lou Lamoriello”

It’s been over a year since Patrick Roy became the head coach of the New York Islanders.

He scored a major coup by leading his team to the playoffs last season, but the Isles have been having a tougher time since the start of the campaign.

They are four points away from the Red Wings and a playoff spot at the time of writing, having won seven of their last 10 games. Before that, it was a struggle…

The team wasn’t doing great and there were even rumors that Roy might lose his job.

We know Lou Lamoriello’s fiery personality, after all. But that never happened in the end.

Patrick Roy’s son, Frédérick, recently shared his thoughts in an interview with journalist Mikaël Lalancette (Le Soleil).

Roy and Lamoriello – even if the Isles aren’t in the playoff picture right now – still get along great.

My father is happy, he loves the city, he gets along very well with Lou Lamoriello. I can sense that he’s very happy. – Frédérick Roy

The interview in question can be found right here:

Patrick Roy’s son didn’t have to comment on his relationship with Lou Lamoriello, but he did anyway.

And it’s not for nothing. Especially with the rumors surrounding the Islanders’ coach over the past few weeks.

But ultimately, Roy is the perfect guy for the Islanders, and knowing that he’s happy within the organization should send a message to the management.

He’s doing what he can to lead a team that doesn’t have a lot of talent in its lineup.

And he has the character to change things in New York.

He speaks his mind honestly to be transparent with the fans, and that allows him to build a connection with them as well:

I don’t see why the Islanders would want to get rid of him, to put it another way.

And I think that’s what Frédérick Roy was trying to suggest in his comments.

In rapid fire

– I’m excited for it to start.

– It’s coming!

– They’re ready.

– Ouch!

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Advanced statistics: Compared to American goalies, Binnington is more than bad

It’s the big day!

Canada and the United States will clash tonight in Boston, as part of the 4 Nations Tournament final.

Who will win? Share your predictions in the comments if you’d like!

For Canada to win this match… they’ll need Jordan Binnington to be more solid in front of his net.

Because yes, it’s the Blues’ goalie who will defend Canada’s cage tonight, even if he hasn’t (really) been perfect since the start of the competition.

Binnington has proven himself in the past by winning the Stanley Cup in St. Louis, but he can’t play like the goalie we’ve seen lately.

Renaud Lavoie compared his stats to those of the American goalies… and it’s day and night:

The American goalies’ save percentage is .943.

Binnington’s is .892.

The American goalies’ save percentage on scoring chances is .955.

For Binnington, we’re talking about a save percentage of .852.

The goalies’ save percentage in traffic is .950.

Binnington has a save percentage of .778 in that category.

We can agree that it’s not even close:

Canada has what it takes to beat the United States.

They have a good offense, a good defense… but the key to the game will really be Jordan Binnington.

He – in part – has Canada’s fate in his hands.

The other players must step up to help him, of course.

But it starts with Binnington: if he makes the big saves, he’ll allow his team to gain confidence.

And if Canada plays with confidence, that’s when it can become dangerous for the United States… even if they have the luxury of being able to count on the best goalie in the world in Connor Hellebuyck.

Please, Jordan, you have to have a good game tonight!

In a nutshell

– I hope he’s right.

– 😅

– Not famous…

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“It’s why nobody liked you” : Akim Aliu spits on P.K. Subban

This morning, American President Donald Trump published a long message on Twitter. In short, he teased Canada by inviting “Governor Trudeau” to watch tonight’s game with him, and in his post, he also spoke about the 51st American state. This got people talking for obvious reasons. And P.K. Subban, who is Canadian, shared the message… As if he was excited to see the turn of events.

In the comments of Subban’s post, we see people criticizing him. And again, I don’t need to explain to you why this gets a reaction. Subban played for Canada, he was born here… It’s normal to see that his statement didn’t go over well with everyone. And again, with everything that’s happening right now between Canada and the United States, maybe P.K. should have thought twice before sharing that message…

Akim Aliu has been in the spotlight in recent years after revealing he was at the center of a racism story. Let’s recall that this is what led to the dismissal of Bill Peters in Calgary, who made racist comments towards him. That being said, Aliu took the time to comment on Subban’s statement… And let’s just say he wasn’t afraid to speak his mind.

This is why, wherever you played, nobody liked you, and the players on the inside always knew who you really were: a sellout of the highest order. – Akim Aliu

Aliu – who played with Subban when he was younger – claims that the former Canadiens player was never authentic and only thinks about getting his name in the media. Ah, and Aliu also calls Subban “the perfect example of why people of color haven’t progressed to the highest levels of society”.

I wonder if there will be any repercussions from this. Will Subban decide to respond to Aliu’s comments? Will he delete his post… Even if the damage is already done? In any case, I have the feeling that this story is far from over. And it will be interesting to see what happens next…

In a hurry

– Oh!

– News of the day on waivers:

– Yeah!

– Good save.

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Call to American players: Donald Trump spoke about the 51st state

If we could separate politics from sports, it would be…

It would be impossible. By the force of things, in an international tournament that takes place when an economic war has been launched, it is clear that there is politics involved around the game.

It can’t be otherwise – even if it may displease many people.

Between the demands for Quebec teams in international competitions and all the stories with the United States, the political-sports links have rarely been as strong as they are now.

And let’s say Donald Trump hasn’t done anything to calm things down.

As you probably know, he called the American players this morning to wish them good luck. And during the call, he referred to the 51st state, which is obviously his wish for Canada.

Bill Guerin, the American GM, confirmed it all and it was reported by The Athletic.

What is ironic (to put it politely) is that Bill Guerin didn’t want to emphasize the 51st state when talking about the call in question. He confirmed that the subject was brought up by the president, but he wants us to talk mainly about Trump’s message to the players.

In short, he wants us to talk about hockey.

What Guerin doesn’t understand is that it’s him who publicly asked for the president to be involved. And he knows what kind of character Trump is: he should have known that he wouldn’t be “wise” on the phone…

And if a guy like Noah Hanifin wants to win for the president afterwards, it’s a bit Guerin’s fault, after all.

in a rush

– Interesting.

– Logical.

– Oh yeah?

– Ohhh.

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American team: only one player who is assured of not playing tonight

The Americans trained this morning in preparation for tonight’s duel against Canada.

Naturally, we were watching the state of the injured players. Would the players who missed Monday’s game be part of this morning’s training session in Boston?

It’s worth noting that Brady Tkachuk, who missed yesterday’s practice, was present this morning.

But as we know, a player who trains doesn’t necessarily mean a player who will play a few hours later. That’s why we had to wait and see what Mike Sullivan, the coach, had to say about it.

And according to him, apart from Charlie McAvoy, which we already knew, everyone is available. However, there will still be some guys who will decide at the last minute whether they will play or not. We don’t want to reveal everything to the Canadians… but despite that, Mike Sullivan is not in an easy position.

Kyle Connor, the Tkachuk brothers, and Auston Matthews are the most injured players among the Americans – from what we know, excluding McAvoy.

So, we can assume that the American team won’t need Tage Thompson or Brett Pesce, two players who are in town in case of injuries.

On the Canadian side, there’s less at stake to watch. After all, the injuries are much less important (from what we know) and we have a good idea of the team’s composition.

The fact that Seth Jarvis is involved in special units during training suggests that he will play.

Naturally, for better or for worse, we should expect Jordan Binnington to stress out Canadian fans – and maybe even the players on the ice.

Can the Canadian goalkeeper stand up to the challenge?

In a nutshell

– But… the snow… where is it?

– The Habs’ hope has stood out.

– Donald Trump’s call motivated the Americans.

– A real success, the tournament.

– Ah yes?

– The importance of tonight’s game.

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Campaigning for a Quebec team, but taking for Canada tonight: the contradiction of the day

Today is a big day. Canada and the United States will face off in the final of the Four Nations tournament in Boston.

No, the TD Garden is not the Centre Bell, and no, the buzz south of the border, which is better protected since we have a fentanyl tsar, is not as high as the buzz north of it.

But we don’t really care, do we? We don’t need others to get excited about something that matters to us as proud Canadians…

Who will win? If Canada can take its revenge and win on enemy territory, it will win the tournament. And it will bring great pleasure to Sidney Crosby, who knows he won’t win anything this year with the Penguins…

Except that if Canada loses again tonight, it will have suffered two defeats in just a few days against the Americans, despite having Crosby, Nathan MacKinnon, and Connor McDavid on its roster. We will question again the non-selections of Mark Scheifele, Logan Thompson, Macklin Celebrini, Connor Bedard, Tom Wilson, Mackenzie Blackwood, and many others…

Like we did after the last two world junior championships…

I’m damned excited for 8 pm tonight.

My prediction: Canada 4 – United States 3. And two bad goals from Jordan Binnington…

Team Quebec in all this? Something happened in Quebec yesterday: the Parti Quebecois tabled a motion in the National Assembly aimed at recognizing the existence of a Team Quebec in hockey, our new national sport.

The motion was rejected.

I have no problem with the lobbying by the very sympathetic gang from the Team Quebec Foundation, which is very active on social networks. We must all defend our values and convictions with respect. This is an important principle to me.

But the fact that the Parti Quebecois decided to get involved 36 hours before the big Canada vs United States final, I found it petty. #PettyPolitics

You will have understood that I am against the creation of such a team at the very high level.

Having a Team Quebec in younger age groups, up to M15 or M18, is no problem. Having our best players play with and against our best players will always be a yes…

But deciding not to send our best Quebec players to play for Team Canada in M20 or with the adults because they must play for Team Quebec, I buy less.

And giving players like Samuel Montembeault or Alexis Joseph the choice to opt for Canada or Quebec soon, even less!

Until proven otherwise, Quebec is not a country.

Non-sovereign nations that have a national team, especially in soccer, all have a context that justifies it. I don’t see the same justification here in Quebec, in terms of hockey…

After that, the Maritimes will want their team, the West will want theirs, and only Ontario will be left to fill Team Canada?

Am I outraged to see our Canadian teams go to the World Juniors or the Four Nations with very few Quebecers? No, because I don’t see a mega injustice. Which Quebec players could have made the team but didn’t because of their Quebec origins, according to you?

(Silence)

I prefer that we tackle the reasons for the recent difficulties in Quebec hockey rather than suggesting simplistic solutions to complex problems.

The costs… the coaching… the dilution of talent in several leagues when school comes into play…

But please, let’s not create a Team Quebec because we are unable to consistently make the team of our country, Canada.

Where am I going with my skates this morning? If you’ve been loudly demanding a Team Quebec since yesterday morning, I hope you won’t watch the Canada vs United States game with a red jersey.

The two don’t go well together.

If you are for the creation of a Quebec team to compete in these high-level international competitions, it’s because you are de facto against Quebec’s participation in the Canadian team. Advocating for the creation of Team Quebec is rejecting Quebec’s participation in Team Canada. Advocating for a Quebec team to compete with the Canadian team is detaching from the concept of the Canadian team. Think about it…

So, as a Quebecker who rejects the Canadian team, please don’t take Team Canada tonight.

Otherwise, it would be like going out with Marie but having a crush on Alyssa… and waiting for Alyssa to reveal her love before leaving Marie. It’s not how it works. Or how it should work, at least. Leave Marie if you don’t love her anymore, and then try to build something with Alyssa.

And don’t tell me that you remain a fan of Team Canada because the Quebec you love so much is part of it: there won’t be a single Quebecer in uniform tonight. Respect your principles and don’t support Canada if you don’t believe in Canada. Appreciate the spectacle in a neutral way.

Finally, I want to salute the person who wrote to me on X that they would be cheering for the Americans tonight because they don’t like Canada. You’re at the top of the nonsense pyramid today.

I love Quebec, of course… even if I have to admit that since COVID-19, I’ve been disappointed in our core values. Let’s say that the way Quebec responded to the pandemic – unlike other places in the world – made me think a lot about our Quebec values.

I’ve always been a center-right guy who, for the past five years, has been seen as a far-right pariah just because I don’t have the same thinking as what we hear every day in Montreal media. Maybe I’m not docile enough, as Genevieve would say?

But anyway, I’m getting a bit off topic here.

Long live Quebec – free or not – and long live Quebec teams… until M15 or M18, hehe.

My final word: let’s stop looking for reasons to divide ourselves. Let’s come together. Tonight, I’ll be gathering with my Quebec friends behind my country, Canada.

Note that I totally respect the opinion of those who want a Team Quebec; I just say that it’s incompatible with supporting Canada tonight.

I know that humans are contradictory beings, but we must still point out these contradictions when they arise.

In life, we must be consistent with our values and convictions.

Prolongation: I respect the opinion of those who want a Team Quebec; I just say that it’s incompatible with supporting Canada tonight.

I know that humans are contradictory beings, but we must still point out these contradictions when they arise.

In life, we must be consistent with our values and convictions.