The US needs a hefty dose of humble pie

First off, congratulations to the US men's and women's hockey teams. Secondly, this post will not delve into politics. The current climate is highly charged, and there's no need to add fuel to an already blazing fire (oops, did I say too much?).

US hockey has been on a continuous rise for several years, evident not only in the World Junior Championships but also in the increasing number of American players making their mark in the NHL, including many who are now among the stars of the league.

However, let's pause for a moment.

Some of our (not always so friendly) neighbors to the south claim that hockey is their game and that they have in fact now trumped us (pardon the political pun, too tempting). This assertion is far too bold, at least for now.

The facts speak for themselves: Canada has won three gold medals and one silver in the last five Olympics that included NHL players, while the US has secured just one gold medal in nearly half a century. If we apply the same logic to baseball, then Japan, having won the championship the last time around (and three of the last six), should be considered the best in baseball. The Dominican Republic would be on par with the US since they have won it as many times. Yet, everyone agrees that the US produces the most MLB players (just as Canada does in hockey—indeed, we could have easily fielded a second, maybe even a third, competitive team) and is undeniably the elite nation in this sport.

Canada came incredibly close to winning this game, missing opportunities that players like MacKinnon, Celebrini, McDavid, and even Toews (whose shot somehow hit the back of Hellebuyck's stick and stayed out) would typically convert 95 out of 100 times. Add in a few goal posts, deflections that narrowly missed the net, questionable calls (like the too many men on the ice that should have been flagged on the US), and a 3-on-3 format that is anything but traditional hockey (I understand these are the rules, but honestly, it's not a fitting way to decide an Olympic final). While it may be a weaker excuse, missing players like Sid, Point, and even Cirelli in the faceoff circle certainly didn't help either.

Still think we should hand the crown to the Americans? Consider that the top three players in the league are Canadian (Makar, McDavid, and MacKinnon, a consensus even among non-Canadian media), and that the back-to-back champions were largely led by Canadian players (Bennett, Reinhart, Marchand, Ekblad, Verhaeghe—about half the roster hailed from Canada).

Americans have a tendency to boast, act pompous, and claim superiority in almost everything (though Canada often outperforms in critical areas like standard of living, longevity, education, safer cities, lower gun violence, and generally enjoys less stressful and happier lives—albeit this can be subjective). Even at the Olympics, when ranking medals won per capita (a fair way to evaluate countries on the same footing), the US ranks below Canada and many other nations, despite outspending them all on training and support.

So yes, let's not be typical Canadians and simply accept the good-natured ribbing (or more demeaning comments) from our so-called American "cousins." We have absolutely nothing to feel inferior about. Be more like Crosby, less a Tkachuk. Win with grace, and lose with dignity.

This is still OUR game and we have a lot to be proud of.