McDavid's golden goal among top moments at 4 Nations Face-Off

BOSTON -- The 4 Nations Face-Off captured the attention of the sports world and beyond, triggering waves of excitement, emotion, angst, intensity, tension and elation for nine days.

It ended Thursday at TD Garden, Canada capturing the championship with a 3-2 overtime win against the United States.

Connor McDavid scored the goal that gave the Canada its fourth consecutive best-on-best tournament win and sixth in seven.

Jordan Binnington made 31 saves, including six in overtime, when he was at his best.

Nathan MacKinnon scored his tournament-leading fourth goal. He was named the 4 Nations most valuable player.

Here are 10 of the top moments in what was an emotionally and at times politically charged event, the setup to the 2026 Milano Cortina Olympics, which is the next best-on-best international hockey tournament:

McDavid's moment

McDavid was not having his best game Thursday.

It's all forgotten now.

McDavid scored the overtime goal that gave Canada the 4 Nations Face-Off championship, sniping a shot past U.S. goalie Connor Hellebuyck from the left hash marks at 8:18 of overtime.

He has had huge individual moments in his career. He took his team to Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final last season. He won the Conn Smythe Trophy as the most valuable player of the Stanley Cup Playoffs despite the Edmonton Oilers not winning the Stanley Cup.

This was McDavid's biggest moment in the spotlight, scoring the golden goal in overtime in the 4 Nations Face-Off 15 years after Sidney Crosby scored the golden goal in overtime for Canada at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics.

"I'm just really happy he scored," Crosby said. "He couldn't be more deserving an opportunity and that moment."

"Johnny Hockey" honored at final

Mike Eruzione was the United States' honorary captain for the championship game Thursday. The 1980 Lake Placid Olympics star, who scored the most important goal in USA Hockey history, came onto the ice wearing Johnny Gaudreau's No. 13 U.S. jersey. He stood next to Wayne Gretzky, Canada's honorary captain.

Then, during the third period, the game tied 2-2, many of the 17,850 in attendance started chanting "Johnny Hockey, Johnny Hockey, Johnny Hockey."

Johnny Gaudreau and his brother, Matthew, died Aug. 29 when they were struck by an alleged drunk driver while riding bicycles near their home in Salem County, New Jersey.

Johnny would have had a good chance to play on the U.S. team at the 4 Nations Face-Off. He and his brother both played their collegiate hockey at Boston College.

More on Gaudreau below.

Ersson gets his big moment against U.S.

After being a healthy scratch for Sweden's first two games, goalie Samuel Ersson got the start against the United States at TD Garden on Monday because Linus Ullmark and Filip Gustavsson were a bit under the weather.

Sweden already had been eliminated and the U.S. had clinched its spot in the championship game before puck drop, but that didn't stop Ersson, the Philadelphia Flyers goalie, from authoring a memorable and telling performance.

He was brilliant in making 32 saves, including 12 in the third period, when the U.S. was pushing.

Ersson was added to the roster as a replacement for the injured Jacob Markstrom, but he made good on his big opportunity to show coach Sam Hallam and the management team that he can play on the big stage. It could mean something for the goalie's chances of being selected for the 2026 Olympic team.

MacKinnon, McDavid lead Canada to championship game

When Canada needed its biggest push, it was star forwards McDavid and MacKinnon leading the charge.

No surprise there.

In a win or else game against Finland, McDavid scored 4:13 into the first period and MacKinnon scored 46 seconds later to give Canada a 2-0 lead less than five minutes into the game. MacKinnon scored again 5:03 into the second, giving Canada a 4-0 lead with the goal that ended up being the game-winner.

Finland came back with three goals in the third, two from Mikael Granlund 23 seconds apart, to make it 4-3 with 1:17 remaining. But Sidney Crosby iced it with a hit on Granlund at center ice followed by an empty-net goal.

The win put Canada in the final, setting up the memorable matchup against the United States.

A fighting start, a legendary game

Three fights in nine seconds. What a start to the first U.S.-Canada game. It set the tone for the rest of the game. It set the tone for the rest of the tournament.

In an emotionally charged Bell Centre in Montreal, fans going bonkers, including some booing of the U.S. national anthem, Matthew Tkachuk and Brandon Hagel got things started, dropping the gloves two seconds after the opening face-off.

If that didn't set off enough fireworks, next up was Brady Tkachuk and Sam Bennett, fighting off the ensuing face-off, exactly one second after Matthew Tkachuk and Hagel on the score sheet.

Play finally resumed, but not for long. Six seconds later it was J.T. Miller and Colton Parayko going at it.

All told three fights, 32 minutes in penalties (Miller got an extra minor for cross-checking Parayko), and nearly the roof blown off Bell Centre.

It led to 31 hits in the first period, 17 for the U.S. and 14 for Canada. McDavid scored first, but the U.S. countered with goals from Dylan Larkin and Jake Guentzel before locking it down in the third period and adding a Guentzel empty-net goal for a 3-1 win.

Granlund gives Finland its big moment

Mikael Granlund scored the goal that gave Finland a reason to believe in the tournament.

Granlund's goal 1:49 into overtime gave Finland a 4-3 win against Sweden at Bell Centre on Saturday. The win kept Finland alive in the tournament and set them up with the opportunity to reach the final with a regulation win against Canada on Monday.

They didn't get there, but Granlund's goal was the highlight of the tournament for Finland, which came back from 3-2 down in the second period on Aleksander Barkov's goal at 17:05.

Tkachuks dominate, carry U.S. to opening win

The 4 Nations Face-Off solidified Matthew and Brady Tkachuk's place in USA Hockey. If they aren't the face of it, they are at the very least the heartbeat and soul of it.

That was on display in the United States' first game, a 6-1 win against Finland at Bell Centre on Feb. 13.

Brady scored the tying goal at 10:21 of the first period, 2:50 after Henri Jokiharju gave Finland a 1-0 lead.

U.S. coach Mike Sullivan then put the Tkachuks on the same line with Jack Eichel midway through the second period.

Fireworks.

Matthew scored a power-play goal 15 seconds into the third period to give the U.S. a 3-1 lead. Brady scored at 3:00 with an assist from Matthew to make it 5-1. Matthew added another goal on the power play at 11:13 for the 6-1 final.

All told, Matthew and Brady accounted for four goals, one assist, 13 shots on goal and 10 hits, including a single-game tournament high eight from Brady.

Crosby's night, Marner's goal

Sidney Crosby showed the hockey world why at 37 he remains among the best and most clutch players in the game in Canada's tournament-opening 4-3 overtime win against Sweden on Feb. 12.

Crosby had three assists, including the play that setup Mitch Marner's winner 6:06 into overtime, when he drew all three Sweden players on the ice to him, dropped it back for Marner, went to the bench for a change and from the dasher watched Marner make the play to score.

In addition, Crosby, from the bumper, set up MacKinnon for a power-play goal 56 seconds into the game, and he made a dazzling play to protect the puck and find Mark Stone for his goal at 17:28 of the second period.

It was one of those special nights for the most decorated player to wear the Canada jersey.

Roaring ovation for Lemieux

Before the puck dropped in the Canada-Sweden game to open the tournament, the crowd in Montreal was treated to international hockey legends on the same ice.

A who's who was introduced, starting with the captains of all four teams (Victor Hedman, Sweden; Aleksander Barkov, Finland; Auston Matthews, U.S.; and Sidney Crosby, Canada). They were followed by a legendary representative, Daniel Alfredsson for Sweden, Teemu Selanne for Finland, Mike Richter for the U.S. and "Le Magnifique."

Mario Lemieux was the last legend introduced, and the noise inside Bell Centre was deafening when he came onto the ice.

Moments earlier, Crosby received a huge ovation from the crowd when he was introduced. But the reaction to Lemieux topped it, and there was Crosby on Canada's blue line, tapping his stick in appreciation of his former landlord and boss in Pittsburgh.

Lemieux, holding the Canadian pennant to be given to Sweden in honor of the international game, waved to the crowd for a while before signaling to Crosby for him to come over and exchange pennants with Hedman.

Coach Gaudreau

The U.S. went all out in this tournament to honor and play for Johnny Gaudreau and his brother, Matthew.

The U.S. had a jersey and pennant for Johnny hanging in its dressing room throughout the entire tournament. The jersey was given out by the players to whoever they thought was their player of the game. That player put the jersey on and gave a quick speech.

Guy Gaudreau, Johnny and Matthew's father, was invited to a team dinner Feb. 10 in Montreal along with USA Hockey legends Mike Eruzione and Rob McClanahan from the 1980 Olympic team and Hockey Hall of Famer Mike Modano.

Guy spoke to the team about how special this is and what it would have meant for Johnny to be on the roster. He would have had a good chance of making it.

He was supposed to go home from Montreal the next day, but instead was invited by the U.S. coaching staff to join them on the ice for practice at Bell Centre. Not only did he help run the practice, Guy then was welcome into the team picture.

Guy told NHL.com and The Associated Press after practice that he was honored the coaches and players respected Johnny enough to say put his dad in the picture.