DUNEDIN, Fla. -- For three hours, baseball didn’t matter. Sunday morning was for hockey, the Blue Jays’ complex divided between Canadians, Americans and those who were just trying to figure out what all the fuss was about.
Moments after Jack Hughes scored in overtime to win Team USA the gold medal in men’s Olympic hockey over Team Canada, George Springer burst out of the Blue Jays’ clubhouse. He’d already been wearing his Team USA jersey and hat all morning.
A half hour later, he was digging in for at-bats against Kevin Gausman, jersey still on with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. He might sleep in it tonight.
It’s a heartbreaking morning for millions of Canadian hockey fans, many of whom are still getting over the Blue Jays’ Game 7 loss to the Dodgers in the 2025 World Series. Just days after the Canadian women’s team lost 2-1 in the gold medal game to the United States, the men’s team met the same fate. Inside the Blue Jays’ clubhouse, though, and on the fields nearby, you could find everything from heartbreak to elation to confused curiosity.
Inside the clubhouse, Springer and Ernie Clement are the Blue Jays’ hockey guys. Before Springer arrived earlier in camp, photos of Team Canada beating Team USA over the years were taped all over Springer’s locker. Naturally, it was done with hockey tape. Clement is the resident Miracle on Ice historian, famously breaking out the Herb Brooks quote -- “We are a team of uncommon men” -- after Game 4 of the World Series in L.A.
Manager John Schneider, on the other hand, aligned himself with Canada. Smart man.
“I’m an honorary Canadian. I want them to win, not the U.S. I said it,” Schneider said earlier in camp. “I don’t like U.S. hockey. I think Canada has the best hockey in the world, so I want Canada to win the Olympics. I said it. I’m sorry.”
A Team Canada jersey hung on the door of Schneider’s office Sunday, with No. 14 and “Schneider” across the back, a gift from Canada head coach Jon Cooper.
“It was already hanging in George’s locker today,” Schneider said midway through the first period. “He wasn’t thrilled.”
While Canadian media watched the first period in the clubhouse, which included a roar from all of the American players for USA’s first goal, some other players gave it only a passing glance. MLB clubhouses aren’t exactly overflowing with hockey guys. Andrés Giménez said that he knew there were three periods and that those periods were 20 minutes each, but that’s about it.
Inside the media workroom for the remainder of the game, members of the Japanese media quickly learned just how serious this was for the Canadians around them. When one member of the Japanese media suggested that it wasn’t the end of the world after Hughes scored in overtime, we quickly assured them that it was actually very close. Canadian stereotypes were only deepened here Sunday morning.
It was fascinating to see all of this come together. There were hockey-crazed Canadians, including many of the Blue Jays’ full-time staff, some of whom were wearing jerseys around the clubhouse this morning. The American players ranged from Springer, who may still be howling into the Dunedin skies, to those who chose to take BP during the third period. Around 10:15 a.m., when Clement’s group finished taking ground balls, he bolted for the clubhouse doors to watch the end of the game.
If he runs like that this season, he’ll steal 70 bags.
Then, there were many of the Latin players and members of Japanese media, all learning in real time just how important this game was to these stressed and cursing Canadians. When Clement told Vladimir Guerrero Jr. that the score was 1-0, Vladdy asked, “For you guys?” Vladdy isn’t just Canadian-born, but he knows his audience.
Game 7 of the 2025 World Series was watched by 18.5 million Canadians, which is roughly 45% of the country’s population. It was the biggest audience since the 2010 Olympic gold medal game, when Sidney Crosby scored the golden goal. Sunday morning’s game could land in that neighborhood, too.
These moments are so rare. You can add in the 1992-93 World Series and The Tragically Hip’s final concert in 2016, which was broadcast nationally on CBC. It’s a short list of moments that have truly brought Canada together like this.
The Blue Jays hold the power to do it again, and at this point, Canada is due.