A chaotic start featuring three fights in the first nine seconds and boos during the US national anthem set the tone for an emotionally charged USA vs. Canada ice hockey showdown in Montreal on Saturday.
The United States clinched a 3-1 victory, securing a place in the 4 Nations Face-Off final in Boston on Thursday, but the result was overshadowed by the intense on-ice brawls and the fiercely partisan Canadian crowd.
With Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in attendance, home fans booed “The Star-Spangled Banner”, a reaction fueled by ongoing political tensions between the two nations.
Fists Fly Early
From the opening puck drop, emotions boiled over as:
- Brandon Hagel (Canada) and Matthew Tkachuk (USA) squared off at center ice.
- Seconds later, Sam Bennett (Canada) and Brady Tkachuk (USA) followed suit.
- Just nine seconds into the game, J.T. Miller (USA) and Colton Parayko (Canada) engaged in another fight.
USA coach Mike Sullivan saw the intensity as a sign of national pride:
“These guys care very much about winning. They play with so much emotion – it’s an indication of how much they want to win.”
Canada coach Jon Cooper, set to lead Team Canada at the 2026 Olympics, denied any pre-arranged fights, calling the melee “as organic as it gets.”
USA Rallies to Victory
Once the game settled, Connor McDavid put Canada ahead at 5:31 in the first period. But Jake Guentzel equalized at 10:15, and Dylan Larkin gave Team USA the lead at 13:33 in the second. Guentzel’s empty-net goal sealed the 3-1 triumph.
This marked the first best-on-best international showdown between the two hockey powerhouses since the 2016 World Cup of Hockey, with the NHL previously skipping the 2018 and 2022 Olympics.
Canada will now look to regroup, while the USA heads to Boston with momentum and a shot at the 4 Nations Face-Off title.
