Canada’s men’s hockey team defeated the USA 3-2 in overtime Thursday to capture the inaugural 4 Nations Face-Off Championship as the NHL put on a show in the first edition of this midseason international tournament.

Team USA came close to giving the President and his supporters a sort of first MAGA world title, but ultimately fell short in overtime.

The result was the culmination of a midseason tournament that featured stars from Canada, Finland, Sweden and the United States — and a surprisingly political atmosphere.

The entire concept of the thing felt a little half-baked from its initial announcement last February. NHL players from just four nations (the United States, Canada, Sweden and Finland) taking a midseason break to compete in a four-day, seven-game tournament that awards a trophy nobody knows the name of?

The U.S. and Canada men’s ice hockey teams, set to play in the 4 Nations Face-Off tournament final on Thursday night, have come to represent more than just their athletic skill. On both sides of the border, the rivalry in the rink has been seen by some as an extension of the political tensions between the once-friendly allies.

So while Canada found a way again — following the same script as Vancouver 2010 where Team USA won the round-robin matchup between the two countries but Team Canada prevailed when it truly mattered in the end — anyone who knows the game can see the gap has shrunk over the past 15 years.

The 4 Nations Face-Off Final between Canada and USA, a thrilling contest won by the Canadians in overtime, was a massive boon for the sport of hockey and its viewership.

How well did the final of the 4 Nations Face-Off perform? Well enough to make hockey look great. And to make it look bad. Via FrontOfficeSports.com, the game between the U.S. and Canada attracted an average audience of 9.