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.

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.

Knewz.com is reporting that Team USA faced notable hostility from Canadian fans during the 4 Nations Face-Off match in Montreal, with boos directed at the players during the national anthem. The tensions stemmed from recent remarks by President Donald Trump,

It's hard to put a finger on the true stakes of Thursday night's 4 Nations Face-Off final in Boston. After all, this tournament didn't exist a year ago and, up until just about a week ago, was one people doubted anyone would care about -- including the players participating.

Just over a week after fans in Boston were mostly respectful during the Canadian national anthem at TD Garden, the crowd in New York didn’t match their restraint. Before the game between the Rangers and Toronto Maple Leafs at Madison Square Garden,

For weeks now, it has been an added element to most NHL games : the national anthems and whether one or both will be booed. It’s happened as tensions continue to flare between the nations after U.S. President Trump threatened to impose tariffs on Canada.