Play on the ice got heated in a hurry during Saturday’s 4 Nations Face-Off game between the United States and Canada at the Bell Centre in Montreal, Canada.
American Matthew Tkachuk and Canadian Brandon Hagel were responsible for the first set of fireworks going off. Mere seconds after the puck was dropped, both players dropped their gloves and were ready to duke it out. Before Tkachuk and Hagel even finished brawling, Matthew’s brother Brady Tkachuk and Hagel’s teammate Sam Bennett had already agreed to go next.
A third fight between JT Miller and and Jordan Parayko unfolded shortly after Brady Tkachuk and Bennett came to blows.
The Tkachuk brothers later high-fived as they shared time in the penalty box, creating a pretty iconic moment during the game.
The atmosphere inside the Bell Centre was tense well before the game started. The Canadian crowd booed the US national anthem earlier in the night, which the American players clearly did not appreciate.
Canada struck first on the scoreboard thanks to a first-period goal from Connor McDavid. But it was the US that came away celebrating in the end after scoring the next three goals to seal a 3-1 victory.
The United States also ended Canadian Sidney Crosby’s 26-game win streak while playing for his country during tournament play. The last time Crosby tasted defeat also came at the hands of the US in a Feb. 2010 clash.
