Three fights erupted within the first nine seconds of a 4 Nations Face-Off game between the U.S. and Canada on Saturday. At the initial puck drop, Matthew Tkachuk of the U.S. and Canada’s Brandon Hagel immediately engaged in a brawl. Just two seconds later, Matthew’s brother, Brady Tkachuk, squared off against Sam Bennett, who is Matthew’s NHL teammate with the reigning Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers.
The action didn’t stop there. Following an early rush into the Canadian zone, a massive altercation broke out involving nearly all players on the ice, leading to J.T. Miller and Colton Parayko also getting into a fight. The penalty boxes quickly filled, but eventually, cooler heads prevailed.
The game took place in Montreal, where the atmosphere was already charged. The “Star-Spangled Banner” was met with loud boos, despite the public-address announcer urging respect for both nations’ anthems. NHL executive Bill Daly described the situation as “unfortunate” and expressed hope for a resolution.
This matchup marked the first time since 2016 that the U.S. and Canada faced off in a best-on-best format, with the World Cup of Hockey set to return in 2028 after a 12-year break. Both teams had won their opening games in the tournament, but the U.S. held the advantage in the standings due to a regulation win, while Canada required overtime to defeat Sweden on Thursday.
Canada struck first, with Connor McDavid scoring about 5½ minutes into the game, but Jake Guentzel quickly equalized for the U.S. Ultimately, the U.S. triumphed over Canada with a score of 3-1, securing a place in the tournament’s championship game. With this victory, the Americans clinched a spot in the one-game final scheduled for Thursday in Boston, where they could potentially face Canada again.
