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.

So while Canada found a way again — following the same script as Vancouver 2010 where Team USA won the round-robin matchup between the two countries but Team Canada prevailed when it truly mattered in the end — anyone who knows the game can see the gap has shrunk over the past 15 years.

Canada’s men’s hockey team defeated the USA 3-2 in overtime Thursday to capture the inaugural 4 Nations Face-Off Championship as the NHL put on a show in the first edition of this midseason international tournament.