The 4 Nations Face-Off final on Thursday marked the highly-anticipated rematch between the United States and Canada and emotions are running high between both nations.

Tensions boiled over quickly during their first matchup on Saturday, with three fights breaking out in the first nine seconds of play. The gloves were off even earlier than that after Canadian fans loudly booed the entirety of the U.S. national anthem ahead of the American’s 3-1 win at the Bell Centre in Montreal.

The tournament shifted from Canadian soil to the U.S. ahead of the final on Thursday and American fans enacted their revenge. Despite the announcer at Boston’s TD Garden asking all fans to refrain from booing each country’s respective anthem — ‘We kindly ask that you respect the national anthem and the players that represent each country’ — audible boos were heard as Chantal Kreviazuk began her rendition of ‘O Canada.’

U-S-A chants quickly broke out after Kreviazuk’s performance.

USA VS CANADA: Live updates, score, highlights from 4 Nations Face-Off hockey final

Astute listeners caught on that Kreviazuk changed a lyric near the beginning of the Canadian anthem. Rather than singing ‘True patriot love, in all of us command,’ Kreviazuk ended the phrase with ‘that only us command.’

A representative for Kreviazuk told CBC News ‘that the switch was intentional in response to the annexation rhetoric coming from the U.S.’

Grammy award-winning singer Isabel Leonard performed ‘The Star-Spangled Banner,’ alongside the Boston Pops Orchestra. Team USA fans belted out the lyrics with Leonard in the arena. No boos were picked up on the broadcast.

Ahead of the national anthem, each country’s honorary captain was introduced. Canada’s honorary captain Wayne Gretzky, who set a number of records in his 20 seasons in the NHL, received a mixed reception from the crowd as he entered the rink at TD Garden. The same can’t be said about the Canadian roster. Boo-birds poured down during player introductions.

Mike Eruzione, who scored the game-winning goal in the U.S. men’s 1980 Olympic win over the Soviet Union, received a hero’s welcome on the ice. He egged on the crowd and pumped his arms as more U-S-A chants rang out.

Canada ultimately got the last laugh, winning in overtime on a goal by Edmonton Oilers superstar Connor McDavid. ‘O Canada’ was played once again during the trophy celebration, but there didn’t seem to be any audible boos — likely due to most of the American fans having hit the exits.

This story was updated with new information.

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The Dallas Cowboys will be transitioning to a new era under first-year coach Brian Schottenheimer without one of their longtime offensive linchpins.

Offensive guard Zack Martin told the team he plans to retire, according to multiple reports. NFL Media was first to report the news.

Martin, 34, was a seven-time All-Pro selection and nine-time Pro Bowl pick who established himself as one of the game’s most dominant and reliable blockers. A first-round pick out of Notre Dame in 2014, he teamed with left tackle Tyron Smith and center Travis Frederick to give the Cowboys one of the league’s most formidable fronts for years.

But after Smith left to sign with the New York Jets last offseason and Frederick retired in 2020, Martin was the last of the three to remain with the franchise, with which he spent his entire 11-year career.

His retirement comes after a 2024 season that was cut short after 10 games, as he underwent surgery for an ankle issue that had plagued him.

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Just two weeks earlier, Martin, who was a selection for the NFL’s All-Decade Team for the 2010s, was still contemplating whether to continue with his career.

‘First off, I want to try to get healthy. Here in the next month, six weeks, me and my wife have been talking about it,’ Martin told the Cowboys’ official website of his decision timeline. ‘Right now, I’m focused on getting healthy and seeing how I feel with this ankle kind of repaired and whether or not I’m going to go out and try to go again.’

The only two seasons in which he was not selected to the Pro Bowl were last year and 2020, when he also was limited to 10 games due to a concussion and calf injury.

Brock Hoffman took over for Martin at right guard this season.

Colorado football safety Shilo Sanders didn’t get invited to the NFL scouting combine next week in Indianapolis but isn’t letting the snub shut down his quest for attention from NFL teams. To the contrary, he brought in a pro timing expert to track his speed in Boulder and then publicized it in a video on his YouTube channel Thursday.

It’s part of his bid to get picked in the NFL draft in April.

“I didn’t get invited to the combine, but I brought the combine to me,” Sanders said in the video.

He recently contacted Zybek Sports, a local company that has been timing the 40-yard dash at the NFL combine for the past 13 years, according to Mike Weinstein, the company’s owner. Weinstein then showed up on the Boulder campus to work with Sanders in a way that really does bring the NFL combine to Sanders on a virtual basis. His company times Sanders the same way players are timed in Indianapolis and shares speed data that shows where he ranks among those at the combine.

The goal is for Sanders to be primed for Colorado’s annual “pro day” in about seven weeks. That’s when NFL scouts come to Boulder to time and assess him and other NFL prospects before the draft.

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Draft prospects “really make extraordinary gains over a short time when they understand exactly what their numbers are and exactly where they stack up and what to focus on,” Weinstein told USA TODAY Sports Thursday. “That’s what he’s going be working on the next seven weeks.”

Shilo Sanders’ draft prospects

Sanders, son of Colorado coach Deion Sanders, was not among the four Colorado players invited to the NFL combine this year. In total, the NFL invited 329 players to the combine, where players are measured and timed in a variety of tests on the road to the NFL draft, including the 40-yard dash.

Shilo Sanders, 25, is not expected to be an early-round draft pick but still could get drafted or at least sign with an NFL team as an undrafted free agent. He led his team in tackles in 2023 and also had the third-most tackles on his team last season despite missing three games with a broken forearm. He also participated in the East-West Shrine Bowl college all-star game last month and recorded five tackles, tied for second-most on his team.

To improve his measurables before the draft, he turned to a company that doesn’t provide coaching services but instead provides 40-yard dash data from previous combines and pro days. That data is even broken down by increments of 10 yards in the 40-yard dash and comes with the credibility of having been provided by the same company clocking the 40-yard dash times at the combine.

“We show every athlete where they are right now and where they need to be by the next step,” Weinstein said. “It’s all about marketing at that stage and being able to really credibly show your numbers can be a benefit in the eyes of the NFL scouts.”

Next step for Shilo Sanders

Weinstein said he will work with Shilo about every week before Colorado’s pro day. The video didn’t reveal his first 40-yard dash time. Weinstein declined to disclose it.

“I think he can be top 20% in the end here,” Weinstein said.

He said his company’s NFL combine data since 2016 shows the average time for a defensive back is 4.582 seconds, with the top 20% at 4.496 seconds. That’s based on 748 individual athlete runs, including players who run twice.

Among other athletes, Zybek Sports worked with Dallas Cowboys receiver KaVontae Turpin, who wasn’t drafted or invited to the combine in 2019 after being accused of assaulting his girlfriend and getting kicked off his college team at TCU. Turpin went on to become MVP of the USFL and used Zybek Sports to get reports to share with NFL teams that showed his speed rankings. The Cowboys signed him in 2022.

This year’s NFL draft starts April 24 in Green Bay.

Follow reporter Brent Schrotenboer @Schrotenboer. Email: bschrotenb@usatoday.com

The USA had to play without key forward Matthew Tkachuk for the end of its overtime loss to Canada.

The Florida Panthers star winger sat on the U.S. bench toward the end of the second period Thursday night in the 4 Nations Face-Off final, skating one brief shift before returning to the bench. He was on the bench at the start of the third and never returned to action.

He was originally hurt at the end of the first USA-Canada game on Saturday, staying on the bench near the end of the third period.

Tkachuk missed Monday’s game against Sweden but was in the starting lineup on Thursday on a line with brother Brady.

ESPN’s Emily Kaplan said USA assistant coach John Hynes told her that Tkachuk was battling through an injury but said, ‘I can push through this.’ She said he hoped to play a limited role in the third period but that never materialized.

The Tkachuk brothers had been dominant in the tournament. Matthew and Brady Tkachuk each scored two goals in the opener against Finland.

Then both brothers started fights in the opening seconds of Saturday’s game against Canada.

Brady Tkachuk left Monday’s game with an injury and was reportedly dealing with an illness on Thursday.

But he scored the USA’s opening goal and finished the game with five hits.

This story has been updated with new information.

The U.S. Women’s National Team is off to a great start in 2025.

The USWNT opened the 2025 SheBelieves Cup with a 2-0 win over Colombia on Thursday at Shell Energy Stadium in Houston. Although Team USA was without its superstar trio of Sophia Wilson, Trinity Rodman and Mallory Swanson, who led the team to an Olympic gold medal at the 2024 Paris Games, young players on the roster stepped up en route to a victory.

Americans Catarina Macario (33′) and Ally Sentnor (60′) both scored, while Colombia was shut out. Colombia, however, received three yellow cards — Daniela Arias (58′), Ivonne Chacón (88′) and Maria Camila Reyes (91′).

‘We’re just having fun out there,’ said Macario, who scored her first international goal in nearly three years following an ACL injury. ‘It’s a tremendous honor to be back here again and just to be playing.’

The USWNT is vying for its sixth consecutive SheBelieves Cup title. The U.S. women have won seven of the nine tournaments since the SheBelieves Cup was founded in 2016.

Here’s a look at highlights from Thursday’s matchup:

USWNT vs. Colombia highlights:

The U.S. almost got on the board in the 18th minute. Macario inbounded the ball to a wide-open Jenna Nighswonger, who narrowly missed the goal by hitting the crossbar. The U.S. got more opportunities later in the match. Macario gave the USWNT the lead at the 33-minute mark with a goal, her first in international play since 2022 after missing significant time with an ACL injury.

Sentnor extended the Americans’ lead to 2-0 in the 59th minute on a long-range strike, which marked her first international goal in only her third cap. There was extra cause for celebration — Sentnor turned 21 on Tuesday.

Who does USWNT play next in 2025 SheBelieves Cup?

The tournament shifts to Glendale, Arizona, on Sunday. Colombia (0-1) and Japan (1-0) will face off first at 2 p.m. ET, followed by the USWNT (1-0) vs. Australia (0-1).

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Claressa Shields has been suspended by the Michigan Unarmed Combat Commission after testing positive for marijuana following her win over heavyweight Danielle Perkins earlier this month, according to reports.

Shields, 29, tested positive for the banned substance via an ‘oral fluid sample’ following her win over Perkins on Feb. 3, Sky News and BBC reported on Thursday, prompting the Michigan Unarmed Combat Commission to open an investigation. Shields, a native of Flint, Michigan, will not be able to compete in Michigan while suspended.

‘Ms Shields’ conduct as a licensed professional boxer constitutes an imminent threat to the integrity of professional boxing, the public interest, and the welfare and safety of professional athletes,’ the Michigan Unarmed Combat Commission said in a statement to Sky News.

The suspension comes less than a month after Shields made history and became the first boxer, male or female, to win undisputed titles in three different weight classes after defeating Perkins by unanimous decision on Feb. 3 at the Dort Financial Center in Flint, Michigan. Shields, a two-time Olympic gold medalist and women’s boxing champion, moved to 16-0 with three TKOs with the win.

In another tweet, she added, ‘And still the UNDISPUTED WOMENS HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION!’

Last week, Shields shot down rumors that she tested positive for a performance-enhancing drug, declaring she’s ‘been a clean athlete all my life.’ She added, ‘To ever put my name and PEDS with positive and my name in the sentence is damaging.’

Although marijuana has been legal in Michigan since late 2018, marijuana is banned from competition by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).

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As it has been during Victor Wembanyama’s season-and-a-half with the San Antonio Spurs, a little patience will go a long way.

The team announced Thursday it is shutting down the phenom for the remainder of the season after Wembanyama was diagnosed with deep vein thrombosis, a type of blood clot, in his right shoulder.

It’s a massive blow for Wembanyama, who has labored to get his 7-foot-3, 235-pound frame into the type of shape capable of withstanding an NBA season. And for the Spurs, who earlier this month acquired star point guard De’Aaron Fox, it’s an emotional setback that appears likely to derail the rest of the season.

Wembanyama is the centerpiece of San Antonio’s rebuild. He is singular, a player whose shooting range, defensive length, ball handling and finesse in the low block make him an unparalleled matchup problem on both ends of the floor.

When Wembanyama was on the court this season, the Spurs posted a plus-minus of +2.5; when he was off it, that number plunged to -7.9. This season, his player impact estimate, which is a percentage of the positive outcomes a player has contributed to, was 16.8. That ranks sixth-best in the NBA.

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Yet, the Spurs (23-29) are currently 12th in the Western Conference and limped into the All-Star break, losing 13 of their last 18 games.

Even with Fox in the fold, it’s difficult to see San Antonio making any real push to scrap into the play-in window, especially since head coach Gregg Popovich continues to be out indefinitely as he recovers from a mild stroke suffered in November.

Simply put, without Wembanyama, San Antonio appears headed to another lost season, potentially its sixth in a row without a postseason berth.

The Spurs, though, have a luxury most teams do not: they can be deliberate.

Wembanyama is only 21 and only just tapping into his immense potential. San Antonio also hit on its 2024 first-round draft pick, guard Stephon Castle, who has improved significantly over the course of the season. Castle is 20. Fox, 27, is signed for at least one more season, though San Antonio presumably executed that trade with the intention to retain him beyond the expiration of his current contract.

The Spurs also currently own a pair of first-round selections in the 2025 NBA draft, which is one projected to be fairly loaded with talent. And San Antonio’s own pick, if the team struggles the rest of the way without Wembanyama, should become even more valuable.

Wembanyama has already shown he can elevate the Spurs to greatness.

On Christmas Day, in a game against the Knicks in Madison Square Garden, Wembanyama dropped 42 points and hauled in 18 rebounds to nearly will the Spurs to an upset; they lost by three points.

A little more than one week later, on Jan. 3, Wembanyama scored 35 points on an ultra-efficient 14-of-22 shooting and plucked 18 more rebounds to lead an upset over the Nuggets in Denver. What was notable about that game was that, with the Spurs up by one, it was Wembanyama who was tasked with guarding three-time MVP Nikola Jokić as time wound down in the fourth quarter; Wembanyama would deflect Jokić’s pass attempt, leading to a game-sealing steal.

A first-time All-Star, Wembanyama was averaging 24.3 points, 11 rebounds, 3.7 assists and a league-best 3.8 blocks per game this season. He was a fringe Most Valuable Player candidate and arguably the frontrunner for Defensive Player of the Year.

It is now imperative for Wembanyama to recover fully. Though serious, players can return to action after facing blood clot issues. In fact, Ausar Thompson, a player selected four picks after Wembanyama was in the 2023 NBA draft, faced a similar issue and was cleared in November to play for the Pistons.

Spurs fans may recall Wembanyama’s stellar rookie season, when San Antonio patiently implemented a strict minutes restriction on his playing time to ease his assimilation into the NBA.

Success may yet be coming for Wembanyama and the Spurs. It’s just going to take a little more time.

The NBA suspended Milwaukee Bucks forward Bobby Portis 25 games without pay for violating its anti-drug policy, the league announced Thursday.

Portis tested positive for Tramadol, which is not only banned by the NBA but is also on the World Anti-Doping Agency’s list of banned substances.

Mark Bartelstein, Portis’ agent, issued a statement saying that his client ‘unintentionally’ took Tramadol, mistakenly thinking it was Toradol and said they support the league’s anti-drug policy and Portis is ‘absolutely not a drug abuser.’

‘The Tramadol pill he took came from an assistant of his, with a valid prescription for the painkiller, which he mistakenly told Bobby was Toradol,’ Bartelstein said in a statement. ‘This was, again, an honest mistake that was made because of the similarity in the names of the drugs and the fact they both serve a very similar purpose. Bobby was using this anti-inflammatory pain-reducing medication to deal with an elbow injury he had this past fall and believed he was taking Toradol to alleviate some pain in preparation for that night’s game.’

Both Tramadol and Toradol are pain medications, but only Toradal is approved by the league and its players’ union.

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‘I was dealing with an elbow injury and using an NBA-approved medication for pain and inflammation,’ Portis said in a statement. ‘During that time, I made an honest mistake and took a pain-reducing anti-inflammatory pill that is not approved. I feel horrible and recognize that I’m responsible for what I put in my body. From the bottom of my heart, I want to apologize to the Bucks organization, my teammates, coaches, family, and fans. I give everything I have on the court and will terribly miss playing games for the Bucks during this time. I will continue to work hard and be ready for our long playoff run. Thank you for your support. I appreciate it more than you know.’

Tramadol has been labeled a class IV controlled substance by The Food and Drug Administration for more than a decade because of its potential for addiction and is usually used as an opioid pain medication. Other Class IV medications include Ambien and Valium.

The 25-game ban for Portis will cost him $2.85 million in salary and the Bucks can sign a replacement starting with the sixth game of the suspension.

Portis is in his fifth season with the Bucks and helped the team win the NBA title in 2021.

He is averaging 13.7 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 2.2 assists this season for Milwaukee, which begins the second half of the season tonight against the Los Angeles Clippers. The Bucks have 29 regular season games remaining and have a 29-24 record, good for the fifth seed in the Eastern Conference.