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BOSTON — When the Canadian national anthem played for the second time Thursday night, there were no American fans left in the arena to boo.

Instead, the Canadian team stood at the blue line, arm in arm, player and coach and staff wearing their championship hats, while the maple leaf flag was lowered behind the 4 Nations Face-Off trophy. The fans who remained, many of them in their red Team Canada jerseys, sang along.

Connor McDavid scored at 8:18 of overtime to give Canada a 3-2 victory over the United States on Thursday night as the North American rivals turned what had been a tuneup for the 2026 Olympics into a geopolitical brawl over anthems and annexation as much as international hockey supremacy.

“Just to see the reaction. Just to know what it means to us. I know it’s just a quick tournament, and it’s not an Olympic gold medal or anything like that, but it means the world to our group, as you can see,” McDavid said.

“I hope (the new fans) love it,” he added. “It’s a great game, it’s a great sport and I hope we put on a good show these last couple days and gained some fans, ultimately. You can’t ask for a better show than that.”

It was the second time an NHL international tournament was decided by an OT goal; Darryl Sittler won it for Canada at the 1976 Canada Cup.

Nathan MacKinnon and Sam Bennett also scored for Canada on Thursday night. Jordan Binnington made 25 saves in regulation and six more in the extra period on the same ice where he helped the St. Louis Blues win the Stanley Cup as a rookie five years ago.

MacKinnon, who opened the scoring with his fourth 4 Nations goal, was named tournament MVP. He became the third Canadian player to average at least a goal per game in an NHL international tournament, joining Hall of Famers Mario Lemieux at the 1987 Canada Cup and Mike Bossy at the 1981 Canada Cup.

Brady Tkachuk and Jake Sanderson scored for the Americans, and Connor Hellebuyck stopped 22 shots in regulation and three more in OT.

The already-ripe rivalry took on added intensity with the cross-border animosity following U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariff threats and talk of making Canada the 51st state. Trump called the American team Thursday morning to wish it well, then turned to social media to poke Canadian Prime Minster Justin Trudeau with more annexation chatter.

The political backdrop combined with the quality of the round-robin game, which the United States won 3-1 on Saturday, to bring the atmosphere of a Stanley Cup Final or Olympic gold-medal game to TD Garden.

Fans in their team jerseys waved flags, shouted for their countrymen and continued the booing of the opposing national anthem that has become an nightly undercard for what most agree has been one of the best international hockey competitions in decades.

The American fans chanted “U-S-A! U-S-A!” to spur on the home team. In the third period, a cheer of “Johnny Hockey! Johnny Hockey!” reminded the players that they were playing for the memory of former Boston College and Calgary Flames star Johnny Gaudreau, who, along with his brother, Matthew, was killed by an alleged drunk driver while bicycling in New Jersey on the eve of their sister’s wedding last summer.

“Miracle on Ice” Olympic hero and honorary U.S. captain Mike Eruzione wore a Gaudreau jersey during a pregame ceremonial puck drop with Canadian counterpart Wayne Gretzky.

It was 2-2 after 40 minutes and it stayed that way in the third period and the first eight minutes of overtime. After a flurry of saves by Binnington, the Canadians gained a faceoff in the U.S. zone and Mitch Marner got the puck along the boards before popping it into the center for McDavid.

“I was not very good all night,” McDavid said. “All that was going through my mind was, ‘Keep going.’ I struggled all night, but these guys played great and we just found a way.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Johnson, 2-time Cup winner with Lightning, retires

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Johnson, 2-time Cup winner with Lightning, retires

Tyler Johnson has announced his retirement after playing 13 NHL seasons and winning the Stanley Cup twice with the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Johnson called it a career in a lengthy message posted on social media Monday. Johnson had battled injuries in recent years and is set to turn 35 on July 29.

“As a short kid from a small town, I saw my chances of playing in the NHL as very slim,” Johnson wrote on Instagram. “But my family — my parents, Ken and Debbie, and my grandparents — believed in me when doubt clouded my mind. Their unwavering faith turned that dream into reality.”

Listed at 5-foot-8 and 191 pounds, Johnson won at just about ever level, capturing the Western Hockey League and Memorial Cup championships in 2008 with his hometown Spokane Chiefs and the Calder Cup championship with Norfolk of the American Hockey League in 2012.

The NHL brought more success, as he skated in 863 regular-season and playoff games since debuting in the league in 2013, putting up 498 points. Johnson was part of the Lightning’s core when they reached the final in 2015 and helped them hoist the Cup back to back in 2020 and ’21.

Johnson finished with Chicago, playing three seasons with the Blackhawks, and Boston, signing with the Bruins early last season following his training camp tryout.

“After a lifetime devoted to hockey, I’m ready for what’s next,” Johnson said. “This moment is bittersweet, but I leave the game with no regrets.”

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‘Gritty’ McBain secures 5-year deal from Mammoth

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'Gritty' McBain secures 5-year deal from Mammoth

SALT LAKE CITY — The Utah Mammoth re-signed center Jack McBain to a five-year contract worth $21.25 million on Monday.

McBain will count $4.25 million against the salary cap through the 2029-30 NHL season, which was announced a little more than 24 hours since the team elected salary arbitration with the restricted free agent forward.

“He is a big, strong, physical player who competes hard on a nightly basis and brings a gritty toughness to our group,” general manager Bill Armstrong said. “Jack is an important part of the championship-caliber team we are building, and we look forward to having him back on our roster for the foreseeable future.”

McBain, 25, is coming off setting a career high with 27 points and playing all 82 games. He was one of six players to skate in every game of the organization’s first season in Salt Lake City.

“Jack’s versatility as a player, his care for his teammates and his demonstrated willingness to do whatever it takes to win, are all critical elements to our future team success,” president of hockey operations Chris Armstrong said.

McBain has 82 points in 241 games with the franchise, which moved to Utah from Arizona. Since debuting in April 2022, he ranks third in the league with 832 hits.

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‘Workhorse’ York nets five-year deal from Flyers

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'Workhorse' York nets five-year deal from Flyers

Cam York and the Philadelphia Flyers agreed to terms Monday on a five-year contract worth $25.75 million, with re-signing the restricted free agent defenseman completing perhaps the team’s last important piece of offseason business.

York, 25, will count $5.15 million against the salary cap through the 2029-30 NHL season. That price could turn out to be a bargain with the upper limit rising from $88 million this past season to $113.5 million by 2027-28.

“Cam has been a workhorse for our team over the last few seasons,” general manager Danny Briere said. “We’re excited by his development and look forward to his continued growth and emergence as a young leader within our group.”

The Flyers are trying to shift from rebuilding to contending, and York was the final player on the roster without a contract. They acquired Trevor Zegras in a trade from Anaheim last month and signed fellow center Christian Dvorak and backup goaltender Dan Vladar on the first day of free agency.

York, the 14th pick in the 2019 draft, has skated nearly 21 minutes a game so far in his pro career, all with Philadelphia. He has 77 points in 235 games for the Flyers, who have not made the playoffs since 2020.

“I believe in this team, and I love the direction we are heading,” York said. “I couldn’t be more excited to continue this journey and build something special together.”

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