By Chris Johnston, Michael Russo, Fluto Shinzawa and Arpon Basu
BOSTON — U.S. President Donald Trump phoned Workforce USA on Thursday morning to precise his assist forward of the 4 Nations Face-Off championship sport in opposition to Canada, after he had already stoked simmering political tensions that morning in a submit to his Truth Social account through which he as soon as once more referred to Canada because the “Fifty First State” and referred to as Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau “governor.”
“I’ll be calling our GREAT American Hockey Workforce this morning to spur them on in direction of victory tonight in opposition to Canada, which with FAR LOWER TAXES AND MUCH STRONGER SECURITY, will sometime, perhaps quickly, grow to be our cherished, and crucial, Fifty First State,” Trump posted.
Trump additionally invited Trudeau to look at Thursday’s sport together with U.S. governors in Washington, D.C.
The 4 Nations event has grow to be an intersection of sports and politics, with the “Star-Spangled Banner” getting booed earlier than two video games on the Bell Centre in Montreal.
Trump thought of attending the sport at Boston’s TD Backyard, based on his submit, however stated his speech earlier than the governors prevented it from occurring.
In response to Workforce USA 4 Nations common supervisor Invoice Guerin, Trump did reference the 51st state on the decision.
“Somewhat bit, however I’d simply attempt to give attention to the message that he was giving us,” Guerin stated. “I’ve stated it earlier than: We’re right here to play hockey. This isn’t a political discussion board. This can be a hockey event. And he’s simply making an attempt to be supportive in one of the simplest ways that he may, and we respect it.”
The decision occurred at 9:45 a.m., within the U.S. locker room, Guerin informed The Athletic.
“I believe it was superior,” Guerin stated. “Simply needed to want us luck. Truthfully, that was the gist of it. He simply needed to want us luck. He was saying he’s met a bunch of the blokes by means of White Home visits and stuff, and, you recognize, he talked about a number of guys’ names and that his spouse needed to look at the sport the opposite evening. It’s not each day you get to speak to the president.”
Guerin stated gamers have been excited to listen to from Trump and that the president talked to them “for some time.”
“Mike Sullivan and I talked to him privately for a few minutes, after which we walked into the room and had the speaker on, and he was simply very supportive and simply stated, ‘Hey, you guys are going to do nice. It’s going to be an ideal sport. Simply chill out and play.”
U.S. ahead J.T. Miller stated of the decision: “It was fairly cool. It was so superior to get his assist. It’s a reasonably large deal for him to take day out of his schedule to speak to us for 5 minutes. It’s simply one other a kind of issues the place we’re form of pinching ourselves this event. It’s been actually enjoyable to this point. To see the assist from everyone as much as the president, it’s fairly wild.”
Added defenseman Brock Faber: “It’s the president of america. Once you’re a child, you don’t ever suppose that’s going to be a chance. It was actually cool.”
On the message from Trump, Faber added: “‘Have enjoyable. Get pleasure from it.’ It was fairly fast. ‘Simply benefit from the journey and the delight of carrying the pink, white and blue.’ It was cool to listen to.”
“Clearly, he’s a really influential individual on this planet. It’s particular,” teammate Matt Boldy added. “I believe it speaks to how good the event’s been for hockey and the publicity that’s been given to a brand new group of followers.”
“It’s cool every time you possibly can speak to any president,” defenseman Zach Werenski stated. “We’re proud People, and we wish to make the nation proud. And simply to listen to from him was superior. Positively a bit little bit of a shock, however a cool second for certain. I believe simply listening to him converse, want us luck, inform some tales, I really feel prefer it’s only a cool second.
“I don’t know if it actually offers us that a lot of a lift. We’re fairly jacked up anyway, however I believe it’s simply a kind of issues the place you’ll look again on it, that you just get to have a cellphone name with the president of america, and only a cool second, for certain.”
“It’s fairly, fairly wild, and it’s an honor for all of us in right here to symbolize your nation and to get a name from the president,” ahead Brock Nelson stated. “Additionally, simply goes to indicate, I believe, it’s a giant sport — not just for hockey, however for past the sport. It’s one thing that we’ll bear in mind.”
The decision was arrange by Kash Patel, who has been nominated to guide the FBI.
“He’s a giant hockey fan,” Guerin stated. “We have been linked by means of a mutual good friend. Kash had requested the president to do that, and (Trump) was all in, and that’s form of the way in which it received arrange.”
Workforce USA obtained a name from the President this morning to want them luck forward of tonight’s #4Nations championship sport. pic.twitter.com/he1kIgUVGW
— USA Hockey (@usahockey) February 20, 2025
(Photograph: Minas Panagiotakis / Getty Pictures)
