A pair of Canadian hockey fans were so confident that their country would take home gold at the Winter Olympics that they promised to do whatever the top comment on their video said.
Now, viewers are calling on them to fulfill their promise.
The friends, who go by The Boys of 98 on Instagram, posted a video ahead of the men’s ice hockey final between Canada and The United States on Sunday (February 22). The clip featured two very patriotic elements: a maple leaf and a Tim Hortons cup.
Highlights
- Canadian influencers The Boys of 98 promised to do whatever the top comment said if Canada lost the Olympic hockey final against the USA.
- Team USA won gold for the first time in 46 years with a 2-1 overtime victory over Canada, ending their long drought in men's Olympic hockey.
- The US victory sparked playful social media posts, including the White House showing a bald eagle attacking a Canada goose.
Image credits: theboysof98
“If Canada loses to the USA in the Gold Medal Game we’ll do whatever the top comment says,” they wrote over the video, adding, “We know this isn’t happening, but go nuts.”
Unlucky for them, Team USA won the gold medal for the first time in 46 years by beating their neighbors 2-1. The winning goal was scored 101 seconds into overtime, turning Jack Hughes into a national hero.
It was the first time since the “Miracle on Ice” at Lake Placid in 1980 that the USA men’s team has won Olympic gold. It was also the first time the USA has won the competition outside its home country.
Image credits: theboysof98
Image credits: FloridaLisa65
USA hockey fans are now flooding the friends’ comments, telling them to start rigorous military training, as the top comment read, “Become a citizen and enlist in the United States Marine Corps. Do a full 20 year career.”
“Wishing you the best of luck in your future US Marine Corps deployments,” one sports fan commented.
“Thank you in advance for your service,” said someone else.
“Here’s your first vocabulary lesson: ‘Aye, Sir.’ Now put your money where your mouth is,” added a third.
Image credits: theboysof98
“I can help you find a recruiter,” a separate viewer suggested.
“Welcome to the Corps, boots. Just in time for Tehran,” read another comment.
Even the official United States Marine Corps left a comment, informing the Canadian friends, Christian and Matthew, that they had started following them on Instagram.
Image credits: theboysof98
The US Marine Corps is widely considered to have one of the most demanding military programs in the world. The final test of boot camp is called The Crucible, which is reportedly 54 hours long and consists of both physical and mental challenges.
One day before the gold medal game, Christian and Matthew posted a video saying that Canada’s win was “all they got left” because the country “wasn’t the same” anymore.
Christian and Matthew now have a grueling challenge ahead, and people are telling them to "put their money where their mouth is"
Image credits: RichieMcGinniss
“If the US takes hockey from us, that’s it. We’re done. This is all we got now. This place ain’t the same. Tims, the coffee, McDonald’s stole the formula. McDonald’s stole the beans, man,” Christian said.
“The US has all the fun places. You got Scottsdale, Nashville, New York, Vegas, Miami…we got Toronto for two months in the summer. You have plastic straws, bags in grocery stores. We have none of that. We gotta bring our own bags and we got paper straws.
“You can have all the fun things, but you’re not taking the one and last thing that we have.”
Image credits: theboysof98
After the game, the official White House account on X posted a picture of a bald eagle attacking a Canadian goose, responding to a post from former Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau that said, “You can’t take our country — and you can’t take our game.”
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said he “could not be more proud” of his country’s athletes. “You’re coming home with 21 hard-fought Olympic medals. Though what Canadians will remember most is how you wore the Maple Leaf: with pride, with grit, and with determination,” he said.
Image credits: theboysof98
Image credits: maligator421
The US victory came 46 years after their famous win over the Soviet Union in Lake Placid, New York. The game was recently the subject of a Netflix documentary titled Miracle: The Boys of '80.
“I can’t even believe this,” said Hughes, the 24-year-old who scored the decisive goal. “We’re a great team. We’re underdogs to Canada, [but we] beat them. It could have gone either way.”
Image credits: theboysof98
Image credits: theboysof98
US center Jack Eichel thanked the 1980 team for inspiring future generations of hockey players and added, “We wrote our own story here. It’s a really proud moment for every guy in that room.”
The United States claimed their third Olympic men’s hockey title.
Meanwhile, Canada had been chasing a 10th gold medal in men’s ice hockey to extend its record as the most successful country in Olympic ice hockey.
The historic win came after the US women’s team defeated Canada in ice hockey at Milan-Cortina 2026, as well as 2-1 in overtime.
"Thank you for your service," one viewer commented
