It was broken hearts abound at the Sandtrap Pub and Grill on Sunday morning, as patrons who came to watch Canada face off against the United States in the Olympics men’s hockey final in Milan were met with the crushing disappointment of Canada’s 2-1 loss in overtime to their neighbours south of the border.
Canada fell behind early, and reactions inside the bar shifted with each swing of the game. The crowd exploded when Canada tied the game in the third.
As Team Canada fought to win the game, the Sandtrap’s patrons gasped at every near chance goal and shared chants of “Canada” in the final minutes of regulation.
Then, in overtime, the U.S. scored the winning goal, and the room went quiet.
“Heartbreaker. Can’t even absorb it right now,” said Mark Shoniker, watch party attendee, after the goal. “Lots of chances. We didn’t make the most of our chances.”
With Team Canada claiming the silver medal in this year’s men’s hockey tournament, this marks 12 years since Canada took home the gold in the sport since Sochi 2014. Canada’s women’s hockey team also took home silver in Milan, after losing to the U.S. 2-1.
More than a decade after NHL players last appeared in an Olympics men’s final, residents in Niagara-on-the-Lake gathered for a pre-dawn watch party that co-owner Matt Dietsch said echoed the 2014 Winter Olympics.
“There was a couple of families with young kids, like little babes in arms, and now they’re all grown up playing hockey,” said Dietsch.
The Sandtrap was packed for this year’s final, without an empty seat in the house, full of patrons sporting red jerseys and Canadian merchandise.
After Canada tied the game in the third, the tension in the Sandtrap tightened as hope crept back in. One patron in the crowd said, “I feel like I’m dying. My heart’s going crazy,” and others repeatedly called out, “Let’s go, Canada!”
“We need to settle the score from our women’s hockey, so hopefully the boys can get it done,” said Dietsch.
The crowd included visitors, such as a Finnish family touring the region that stopped in for the game, said Dietsch.
He expected a larger turnout, regardless of the ongoing trade war between the U.S. and Canada, so long as Canada was to compete for the gold medal.
“We would have been full regardless, but it’s a classic rivalry,” he said.
For many in the room, the appeal went beyond watching Canada chase another gold — it was a chance to spend a rare Sunday morning in a familiar place with neighbours, friends and family.
“Friends and the game,” said Jessica Friesen. “Where else would you want to be? This is how to watch a gold medal hockey game.”
