Rivalry Reignited: U.S. Anthem Booed, Three Fights Begin Canada And USA 4 Nations Game

The Tkachuk brothers and J.T. Miller fought Brandon Hagel, Sam Bennett and Colton Parayko to start the USA and Canada’s 4 Nations Face-Off game.
Team Canada's Colton Parayko and Sidney Crosby

The 4 Nations Face-Off game between Team USA and Team Canada began with jeers, cheers and a lot of fighting.

Fans in Montreal’s Bell Centre booed the American anthem for the second time in two games ahead of Saturday evening’s 4 Nations Face-Off match between Team USA and Team Canada.

Like in earlier games, public address announcer Michel Lacroix asked the crowd to respect the national anthems of both countries.

However, boos were audible throughout the Star Spangled Banner.

For O Canada, fans were asked to sing along with David Grenon of the Royal Canadian Air Force Band in honor of the 60th anniversary of Canada’s flag. They joined in with a loud rendition of the Canadian national anthem and cheers afterward.

But when the puck dropped, so did the gloves.

Team USA and Florida Panthers right winger Matthew Tkachuk fought Team Canada and Tampa Bay Lightning left winger Brandon Hagel to start the game. Their Atlantic Division rivalry kicked up a notch on the best-on-best stage.

“I think I blacked out on it,” Hagel told Sportsnet’s Kyle Bukauskas at the intermission. “Just trying to get some energy in the building. He asked, and I’m not backing down from him.”

“Me and (Matthew Tkachuk) have a pretty good history, just going back and forth throughout the season, so I felt potentially if we start together, he was going to ask me, and long time coming.”

The younger Tkachuk brother, Ottawa Senators captain Brady Tkachuk, then fought Team Canada and Florida Panthers winger Sam Bennett.

And moments later, USA and New York Rangers center J.T. Miller dropped the gloves with Canada and St. Louis Blues defenseman Colton Parayko.

The referees handed out 32 penalty minutes in the first nine seconds of the game. The six fighters each received five-minute majors. Miller received an extra two-minute minor penalty for cross-checking Parayko.

“That was the greatest start to a hockey game ever,” former NHL defenseman and Sportsnet panellist Kevin Bieksa said during the first intermission.

After Connor McDavid opened the scoring, Jake Guentzel scored for Team USA to tie the game heading into the second period. Dylan Larkin gave the Americans the lead, and Guentzel added an empty-netter to seal a 3-1 victory for the United States.

U.S. Anthem Booed Twice At 4 Nations Face-Off

Team USA and Team Canada members were asked about the boos heard during the Star Spangled Banner in USA’s first game on Thursday, a 6-1 win over Finland.

“I think we like it,” USA center J.T. Miller told reporters on Friday. “Not politically, but we just had a sense of, we know where we’re at in Canada, and I think that fires us up more than anything.”

Added Matthew Tkachuk post-game on Thursday: “I didn’t like it. That’s all I got.”

Canadian left winger Brad Marchand, who captains the Boston Bruins, said the fans shouldn’t be booing the Americans during their anthem.

“They have nothing to do with the political things that are going on,” Marchand told reporters on Friday. “I do feel bad for those guys in that moment. I don’t think it’s right.”

Team Canada and Lightning coach Jon Cooper said on Friday he hoped it wouldn’t happen again on Saturday. USA coach Mike Sullivan said they just want to represent their nation in the right way.

The boos come after United States president Donald Trump introduced tariffs on Canada on Feb. 1, which prompted the Canadian federal government to announce retaliatory tariffs. Both countries’ tariffs were paused for at least 30 days.

Trump has also repeatedly said Canada should become the United States’ 51st state, referring to Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau as “Governor Trudeau.”