A Tale of Two Hockey Olympians: American Brings Glory to the US While Canadian Pouts

But they make good beer, have cool red outfits for their Mounties, brought the word “hoser” into the vernacular with the great SCTV skit called “The Great White North,” and my son, who has skied there multiple times, says the people are extremely friendly.

I don’t go to sleep every night thinking, “I hate Canada.” 

That being said, a member of their hockey team sure didn’t make them look good on Sunday. The U.S. beat the Canadians 2-1 in an all-timer of an Olympic final, and the losing side was obviously devastated to see their chances at a gold medal stomped out by their southern neighbors.

But show some class, people. Watch star Nathan MacKinnon’s reaction as he receives the little stuffed animal mascot. Admittedly, it’s not much to look at it, and I wouldn’t want one either, regardless of what medal I’d just won, but sometimes in sports you’re supposed to man up:

Canada’s Nathan MacKinnon: “You be the judge of who was the better team today.”

USA: 2 - Canada: 1

USA: Gold - Canada: Silver

USA: Celebrating - Canada: Depressed

Seems like Canada can only win if they cheat (like they did in curling) or the USA annexes them! pic.twitter.com/D8TRPySMAv

— Paul A. Szypula 🇺🇸 (@Bubblebathgirl) February 22, 2026

Devastating losses are familiar to anyone who has ever played competitive sports; it’s part of the deal. The stock line is, “Well, the better team won this time,” or “they’re a great squad, and they deserved it.” But not for MacKinnon, who said, “You be the judge of who was the better team today,” clearly implying that his team was superior despite the loss.

"You Be The Judge of Who Was The Better Team Today" -- Nathan MacKinnon, Who Clearly Has No Idea How Sports Work https://t.co/X53BXfO9xe pic.twitter.com/WDApdXne1z

— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) February 22, 2026

As the above post notes, that’s not how sports work. The team that beats its opponent is, by definition, the better squad. It doesn’t matter if you were more skilled, or if you led the game most of the way, or if you made flashy plays. If you lose, you are therefore not the better team.

One of the things we love about athletics is that it’s not subjective (unless referees get involved with bad calls); it’s objective. Whoever scores more wins and is crowned the better team. It may be cold, it may be harsh, but it’s also reality. It's also why legendary ESPN sportscaster Chris Berman has as his longtime catchphrase, "That’s why they play the games."

And sometimes, you just plain get outplayed:

CONNOR HELLEBUYCK JUST MADE THE GREATEST SAVE IN USA HOCKEY HISTORY pic.twitter.com/uDjVfH7OWy

— Bussin' With The Boys (@BussinWTB) February 22, 2026

On occasion, I sympathize with the losers in big games because I know how hard it sucks to lose them, and if the athletes are not competing for the Russian Federation, I feel bad for them. My wife then gets to make fun of me. This MacKinnon guy made empathizing with him a whole lot harder, though, and I'm not finding a whole lot of charity in my heart.

THE BETTER TEAM: Hot Takes: Great Patriotic Message As US Wins Gold, Inspires Memes Dunking on Canada

USA Reclaims Hockey Gold, Edging Out Canada - 46 Years to the Day After the Miracle on Ice

However, there was another side to the story, an antidote to his sulking and a giant clapback against the anti-American U.S. athletes who stoop to criticize our country while competing in our name on foreign soil. His name is Jack Hughes, and as our Nick Arama reported, he not only scored the winning goal after having his two front teeth knocked out, but he was the American patriot so many at home have been yearning for.

🚨 SPOT THE DIFFERENCE 🇺🇸

“Just because I wear the flag doesn't mean I represent everything that's going on in the U.S.”
— Hunter Hess (finished 10th)

"This is all about our country right now. I love the USA... We're so proud to be Americans."
— Jack Hughes (WON GOLD 🥇) pic.twitter.com/seUj1n5Mcj

— Alec Lace (@AlecLace) February 22, 2026

Watch his rousing speech when asked about the game and what it means to him:

"This is all about our country right now. I love the USA... We're so proud to be Americans."

— Jack Hughes, @usahockey 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/XI9tcdKein

— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) February 22, 2026

Now that's the attitude of a winner. 

I don’t mean to dump too much on the Great White North, or the Canadian hockey team, because they played hard, but the reality is: the U.S. didn’t just beat you on the ice, Canada; they beat you in the Battle of Class.