A heated hockey rivalry between the US and Canada boiled over quickly on Saturday as Team USA’s Matthew Tkachuk, Brandon Hagel of Canada, and JT Miller faced off in a brawl within nine seconds of play. The game, which marked the first time both teams had a full roster of NHL All-Stars since 2018, saw three fights before the puck even left the ice.
The US team was reportedly fueled by the home crowd’s loud booing during the national anthem and an aggressive Canadian crowd. Matthew Tkachuk started the violence by fighting Brandon Hagel, and his brother Brady joined in seconds later. JT Miller then took on Colton Parayko of Canada six seconds after play restarted.
Despite the early chaos, the game itself was marked by a intense and closely contested matchup between Connor McDavid’s Canada and Jake Guentzel’s US team. The US eventually pulled ahead with two goals from Dylan Larkin, but Connor McDavid tied the score before Guentzel sealed the 3-1 win with an empty-netter in the final minutes.
The US victory secured a spot in the 4 Nations Face-off final, and they will face off against either Sweden or Finland next.
Source: https://sports.yahoo.com/usa-vs-canada-hockey-rivalry-boils-over-with-3-fights-in-first-9-seconds-021009947.html