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.

The U.S. and Canadian hockey teams are trying to skate back the geopolitical tension that has infiltrated the 4 Nations Face-Off as they looked ahead to the championship game Thursday night for what has turned into one of the best international hockey tournaments in decades.

The U.S. and Canada men’s ice hockey teams, set to play in the 4 Nations Face-Off tournament final on Thursday night, have come to represent more than just their athletic skill. On both sides of the border, the rivalry in the rink has been seen by some as an extension of the political tensions between the once-friendly allies.