4 Nations Face-Off is the latest in a long line of memorable international hockey competitions

The 4 Nations Face-Off has already delivered an instant classic international hockey game with the fight-filled preliminary round matchup between the United States and Canada last week in Montreal.

The U.S.-Canada rematch on Thursday night in Boston could be another memorable country vs. country showdown for a sport with deep roots in international competition.

With the Cold War raging and the Soviet Union challenging Canada's dominance in hockey, their Summit Series was tied 3-all with one tie going into the decisive Game 8. The Soviets led 5-3 after two periods before Phil Esposito and Yvan Cournoyer evened it and Paul Henderson scored the most important goal in the country's history to give Canada a 6-5 victory.

Made up of college players who seemed no match for the heavily favored, professional Soviet Union, the U.S. rallied from 1-0, 2-1 and 3-2 deficits with Mark Johnson and Mike Eruzione scoring to win 4-3 and produce the “Miracle on Ice” in Lake Placid, New York. The Americans then beat Finland to take home Olympic gold.

Two-time Stanley Cup-winning coach Jon Cooper still considers the final between Canada and the Soviet Union the best three-game stretch of hockey ever played, with every game decided 6-5 and the first two going to at least one overtime. The culmination is referred to simply as “Gretzky to Lemieux” as Wayne Gretzky passed the puck to Mario Lemieux for the winning goal in the final game.

A rough start to the tournament on home ice in Vancouver ramped up the pressure for Canada, which led the U.S. until Zach Parise's tying goal with 24 seconds left in regulation. Sidney Crosby beat Ryan Miller off a pass from Jarome Iginla to score the “Golden Goal” in overtime and keep Canada atop the hockey world.

NHL players did not participate on the men's side, but the women's tournament ended with an epic showdown between the U.S. and Canada in the final. Jocelyne Lamoureux-Davidson scored the shootout winner to end the U.S. Olympic gold medal drought in women's hockey at 20 years.

Dominik Hasek and the Czech Republic beat Canada in a shootout on the way to gold in Nagano in 1998 in the debut of NHL players at the Olympics ... Nicklas Lidstrom scored and Henrik Lundqvist made a late save to deliver gold for Sweden against rival Finland in the final of the 2006 Turin Games ... The U.S., with T.J. Oshie as the star, beating Russia in an eight-round shootout with Vladimir Putin in attendance at the 2014 Sochi Olympics.

AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/NHL

FILE - United States' Jocelyne Lamoureux (17) scores the game-winning goal in the shootout against Canada during the women's gold medal hockey game at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Gangneung, South Korea, Thursday, Feb. 22, 2018. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press via AP, File)

FILE - Canada's Sidney Crosby (87) shoots past USA goalie Ryan Miller (39) for the game-winning goal in the overtime period of a men's gold medal ice hockey game at the Vancouver 2010 Olympics in Vancouver, British Columbia, Sunday, Feb. 28, 2010. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)

FILE - Canada's Mario Lemieux rushes into the arms of teammate Wayne Gretzky after Gretzky scored the game-winner in their Canada Cup final match against the Soviet Union, Sept. 15, 1987, in Hamilton, Ontario. (AP Photo/Blaise Edwards, File)

FILE - Team USA plays against Team USSR in the men's semi-finals Olympic hockey game during the XIII Winter Olympic Games at Lake Placid, N.Y., Feb. 22, 1980. (AP Photo)

FILE - Team Canada's Phil Esposito, left, raises arms after scoring goal against Soviet Union goalie Vladislav Tretiak, on ice, in final game of series in Moscow, Sept. 28, 1972. Cheering with Esposito are Canada's Ron Ellis, right, and Paul Henderson, third from right. Other Soviets are Vladimir Lutchenko (3) and Vladimir Vikulov (18). (AP Photo/TASS, File)

NEW YORK (AP) — Thousands of nurses in three hospital systems in New York City went on strike Monday after negotiations through the weekend failed to yield breakthroughs in their contract disputes.

The strike was taking place at The Mount Sinai Hospital and two of its satellite campuses, with picket lines forming. The other affected hospitals are NewYork-Presbyterian and Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx.

About 15,000 nurses are involved in the strike, according to New York State Nurses Association.

The strike, which comes during a severe flu season, could potentially force the hospitals to transfer patients, cancel procedures or divert ambulances. It could also put a strain on city hospitals not involved in the contract dispute, as patients avoid the medical centers hit by the strike.

The hospitals involved have been hiring temporary nurses to try and fill the labor gap during the walkout, and said in a statement during negotiations that they would “do whatever is necessary to minimize disruptions.” Montefiore posted a message assuring patients that appointments would be kept.

The work stoppage is occurring at multiple hospitals simultaneously, but each medical center is negotiating with the union independently. Several other hospitals across the city and in its suburbs reached deals in recent days to avert a possible strike.

The nurses’ demands vary by hospital, but the major issues include staffing levels and workplace safety. The union says hospitals have given nurses unmanageable workloads.

Nurses also want better security measures in the workplace, citing incidents like a an incident last week, when a man with a sharp object barricaded himself in a Brooklyn hospital room and was then killed by police.

The union also wants limitations on hospitals’ use of artificial intelligence.

The nonprofit hospitals involved in the negotiations say they’ve been working to improve staffing levels, but say the union’s demands overall are too costly.

Nurses voted to authorize the strike last month.

Both New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and Mayor Zohran Mamdani had expressed concern about the possibility of the strike. As the strike deadline neared, Mamdani urged both sides to keep negotiating and reach a deal that “both honors our nurses and keeps our hospitals open.”

“Our nurses kept this city alive through its hardest moments. Their value is not negotiable,” Mamdani said.

The last major nursing strike in the city was only three years ago, in 2023. That work stoppage, at Mount Sinai and Montefiore, was short, lasting three days. It resulted in a deal raising pay 19% over three years at those hospitals.

It also led to promised staffing improvements, though the union and hospitals now disagree about how much progress has been made, or whether the hospitals are retreating from staffing guarantees.

Nurses strike outside Mount Sinai West Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Nurses strike outside Mount Sinai West Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Nurses strike outside Mount Sinai West Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Nurses strike outside Mount Sinai West Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

FILE - A medical worker transports a patient at Mount Sinai Hospital, April 1, 2020, in New York. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer, File)