Donald Trump called the U.S. team ahead of Four Nations Face-Off final

In a matter of weeks, the 4 Nations Face-Off has morphed from a gimmicky-sounding replacement for the NHL All-Star Game and Skills Competition to a high-stakes international competition that's attracted the attention of the President of the United States.

Donald Trump called Team USA ahead of Thursday's championship game against Canada.

J.T. Miller on Trump's call: "It was so awesome to get his support. It's a pretty big deal for him to take time out of his schedule to talk to us for five minutes. It's just another one of those things where we're kind of pinching ourselves this tournament." https://t.co/EWdQQrRxmn
— Chris Johnston (@reporterchris) February 20, 2025

"It was so awesome to get his support," J.T. Miller said of the call, according to Chris Johnston of The Athletic. "It's a pretty big deal for him to take time out of his schedule to talk to us for five minutes. It's just another one of those things where we're kind of pinching ourselves this tournament."

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ESPN's coverage for the 4 Nations Face-Off championship begins at 7 p.m. ET with "The Point: 4 Nations Face-Off Pregame Show" hosted by Steve Levy alongside analyst Mark Messier and P.K. Subban on ESPN and ESPN+.

The United States won its first game against Canada 3-1 at Bell Centre on Saturday. That victory clinched its berth into the championship game. Canada earned its way into the final by defeating Finland 5-3 at TD Garden on Monday.

Matthew Tkachuk will reportedly play for the U.S. despite missing the game against Sweden on Monday because of a lower-body injury.

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

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