In times like these, being proud of our Canadian heritage matters more than ever. The year began with the resignation of our nation’s leader, while our neighbour to the south imposed major tariffs and even floated the ridiculous idea of making Canada the 51st state. As absurd- almost laughable- as it sounded coming from Donald Trump, the sheer disrespect of our sovereignty stung. It ignited something in all of us, a deep, collective pride. And what better way to remind the world- especially the States- that not only is this our country, but it’s our game. It’s something that is uniquely special about hockey in Canada: it’s the only sport that can unite us to this extent. 

I grew up in an era when international hockey was a norm- Crosby’s golden goal in 2010, another gold in 2014, and the World Cup of Hockey were defining moments in my hockey journey, as they were for so many Canadians. But as Joni Mitchell said, “You don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone.” Nine years without best-on-best, international hockey was a harsh reality for both fans and players. But after last night, I think we can all agree- it was worth the wait.