CBC orders doc looking into stormy 2025 Canada-USA ice hockey game

Canadian pubcaster the CBC has commissioned a documentary special following the 4 Nations Face-Off, a heated ice hockey game between the US and Canada contested in February as tensions flared between the countries over Donald Trump’s threats to turn Canada into America’s 51st state.

Jennifer Dettman

Produced by Toronto-headquartered Blink49 Studios, the project is described as taking place at the “intersection of hockey, culture, politics, and Canadian national identity.”

The match was ultimately won by Canada with a dramatic overtime goal, a moment that is widely considered to have been a galvanising moment for an increasingly divided country.

The as-yet untitled project is currently in production and will premiere on CBC and streamer CBC Gem early next year ahead of the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026, when the countries could meet again. The doc features behind-the-scenes access, archival footage and interviews with National Hockey League stars and prominent US and Canadian voices.

The project is directed by Yon Motskin, executive produced by PK Subban and Motskin and produced by Blink49 Studios. It is being produced with the cooperation of the National Hockey League and National Hockey League Players’ Association.

“The 4 Nations Face-Off special will offer an in-depth look at this year’s powerful communal moment, extending well beyond the action on the ice,” said CBC’s executive director of unscripted content Jennifer Dettman.