U.S. President Donald Trump will not be in the building when Team USA faces off against Canada at the 4 Nations Face-Off final in Boston on Thursday.
In a Truth Social post early Thursday, Trump said that he will be unable to attend the game because he is speaking before governors in Washington, D.C. on Thursday night.
Though he is unable to attend the game in person, Trump did call the U.S. team on Thursday morning before the team's morning skate.
Team USA general manager Bill Guerin, who asked the President to attend the game on Fox News on Monday, told The Athletic's Michael Russo that Trump's call was just to "wish us luck."
Thursday's final has turned into much more than just a hockey game due to political tension between the formerly friendly nations.
Trump has stoked resentment in Canada by threatening sweeping tariffs on Canadian products and repeatedly suggesting the U.S. should absorb Canada as a state.
In his Truth Social post on Thursday, Trump repeated his suggestion of Canada becoming a 51st state.
"I’ll be calling our great American Hockey Team this morning to spur them on towards victory tonight against Canada," Trump wrote. "We will all be watching, and if Governor Trudeau would like to join us, he would be most welcome."
Canadian sports fans have responded to the tensions by booing the U.S. anthem at several sporting events, including the Americans' 3-1 win over Canada on Saturday in Montreal in the round-robin portion of the competition. That game featured three fights in the first nine seconds, setting the tone for what is sure to be a physical rematch.
Hockey has always meant a lot to Canadians, but when you add in the hostile political climate, Thursday's final appears to mean even more.
In a Rogers survey, 78 per cent of Canadians said they believe hockey is core to Canada’s national identity and 75 per cent say that Canada’s national pride is deeply intertwined with the sport.
Additionally, roughly 60 per cent of Canadians aware of the 4 Nations tournament also said that a Canada victory would be even more meaningful given the threats to Canada’s economy and economic sovereignty. And 40 per cent say a victory will increase their pride in Canada.
You can watch the highly anticipated rematch on Thursday live on Sportsnet and Sportsnet+ with coverage beginning at 7:30 p.m. ET / 4:30 p.m. PT.
— With files from the Canadian Press
