A 4 Nations Face-Off hockey game between the United States and Canada ignited with three separate fights within the first nine seconds of play. The opening face-off saw Matthew Tkachuk (USA) and Brandon Hagel (Canada) immediately drop the gloves. Mere seconds later, Matthew's brother, Brady Tkachuk, squared off against Sam Bennett (Canada), who is also Matthew's teammate on the Florida Panthers. Almost instantaneously, a third brawl erupted involving numerous players, including J.T. Miller and Colton Parayko. The flurry of fights resulted in packed penalty boxes, but the on-ice tensions eventually cooled.
The game, held in Montreal, was played in a highly charged atmosphere. The American national anthem was met with loud boos from the Canadian crowd, despite the announcer's request for respect. Even NHL executive Bill Daly acknowledged the "unfortunate situation" surrounding the booing.
This match marked the first best-on-best competition between these two rivals since the 2016 World Cup of Hockey. The tournament is set to return in 2028. Both teams entered the game with victories in their opening matches, but the USA held the top spot in the standings due to their regulation win, while Canada's initial victory came in overtime against Sweden.
Canada initially took the lead with a goal by Connor McDavid, but Jake Guentzel quickly evened the score for the Americans.
The United States went on to defeat Canada 3-1, securing their place in the championship game, which will be played in Boston. A potential rematch against Canada awaits them in the final.
