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.

On Thursday, all eyes will be on Boston as Team USA and Canada​ square off at TD Garden during a rematch of a game that started with three fights in the first nine seconds.

The symbolism was unmistakable when Connor McDavid delivered the moment that kept Team Canada atop the podium to cap the NHL’s reintroduction to top-tier international competition at the 4 Nations Face-Off. Same countries. Same score. Another once-in-a-generation player delivering the dagger.