AS I SEE IT COLUMN: This could be the best year in Canadian hockey history

Remember the euphoria you felt when Connor McDavid scored the game winning goal in the 4 Nations tournament?

If certain things fall into place, that elation might just be the tip of the emotional iceberg for Canadians, for what could end up being – by orders of magnitude – the greatest year in Canadian hockey history.

Political tensions with our neighbours to the south hasn’t just suffused hockey games with meaning that goes well beyond sports, it’s also led to an enormous rise in patriotic pride in Canada. The combination of bruising tariffs costing jobs in Canada, insults to our Prime Minister and threats to make our beautiful, sovereign nation America’s 51st state, have crystalized a sense of collective Canadian pride this nation hasn’t felt since World War II.

The fans feel it and so do Canadian hockey players.

This potentially magical year began with Canada’s emotional victory over the Excited States in the 4 Nations final. When Canada and the U.S. met in the round robin and the American players texted each other that they would start a brawl at the beginning of the game, the eyes of the sporting world were fixated on hockey when the two rivals met in the final. The unbridled joy felt across the country after McDavid’s winning goal was tangible. We always enjoy our international hockey victories, but this felt palpably different because of all the politics woven into the game.

With Canadian teams left on both sides of the Stanley Cup playoff – it’s conceivable that we could see an all-Canadian final, which hasn’t happened since 1989.

Just think about a Stanley Cup final with no American anthem and a guaranteed Canadian champion (which hasn’t happened since 1993). One of the highlights of the current NHL playoffs is hearing Canadian fans sing our anthem with such enthusiasm; now imagine hearing it sung with two Canadian teams on their respective blue lines. It would be spectacular.

The World Championships are currently taking place in Scandinavia. With the late additions of ‘Sid the Kid’ Crosby, Nathan McKinnon and Jordan Binnington, Canada has a stacked roster. With the larger European ice surface and its extra room providing players more time and space to showcase their skills and creativity, the hockey is beautiful to watch. Canada is definitely one of the favourites to win the worlds. This tournament is truly “must watch” TV for Canadian hockey fans.

And then in a few months in early 2026 we have the Winter Olympics in Italy. The U.S. and their annoying (and dirty) Tkachuk brothers will be one of the favourites, but so will Canada. No doubt political tensions will once again add to the thrill of going for gold. Team Canada is always determined at the Olympics. In Italy, we will see a Canadian squad playing for so much more than sporting glory, and it will be intensely glorious to watch.

So it’s not at all unrealistic that in one year Canada could be crowned champions of the 4 Nations, the World Championships, the Stanley Cup and the Olympics. It would be an epic, legendary accomplishment – emphatically signifying that Canada sits alone on top of the hockey world. Canadian hockey players understand they are playing for something much more important than medals and trophies – they are playing for national pride and to honour the hockey fans in the country they love. Can there a bigger motivator?

Grab some popcorn and settle in. We just might be witness to the best year in Canadian hockey history, and it couldn’t come at a better time.

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