Ryan Evans of Oromocto, N.B., says he knows how lucky he is. The 12-year-old Evans never imagined he would get to share the ice with Team Canada for Thursday's 4 Nations Face-off final against the U.S.

Canadian fans booed the American national anthem when the teams met in a round-robin match in Montreal, which was followed by three fights in the first nine seconds of the game.

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.