n a recent display of national pride and defiance, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau responded to U.S. President Donald Trump’s repeated assertions about annexing Canada as the 51st state. Following Canada’s 3-2 overtime victory against the U.S. in the 4 Nations Face-Off hockey championship, Trudeau declared, “You can’t take our country—and you can’t take our game.”
This statement came after Trump had previously referred to Canada as America’s “51st state” and had even given a pregame pep talk to the U.S. team.
The political tension between the two leaders has been escalating, with Trump imposing tariffs on Canadian imports and Trudeau consistently reaffirming Canada’s sovereignty. In January 2025, Trudeau emphatically stated that there’s “not a snowball’s chance in hell” that Canada would join the United States.
The hockey match served as a backdrop for this political discourse, highlighting the deep-rooted rivalry and the broader implications of national identity and sovereignty.
