USA-Canada Hockey Game Starts With Fights, Boos, & Anti-Trump Chants
on Feb 16, 2025
An ice hockey match between the United States and Canada was marred by numerous fights, anti-Trump chants, and booing from the crowd.
Tensions were high as the game between the United States and Canada during the 4 Nations Face-Off got underway in Montreal on Saturday (February 15). When “The Star-Spangled Banner” was played ahead of the game, the crowd booed, albeit less enthusiastically than they did prior to the U.S.’s game against Finland on Thursday.
The negative reaction to the anthem and anti-Trump jeers was fueled by the president’s recent threats of tariffs against Canada.
Within seconds of the puck hitting the ice to start the game, players began to remove their gloves and hats and drop their sticks.
Florida Panthers captain Matthew Tkachuk told Team Canada’s Brandon Hagel to drop his gloves, and the two began throwing punches. Tkachuk’s brother Brady did the same with Sam Bennett when the puck dropped for the second time. A larger fight broke out moments later at the Canadian zone.
There was speculation that the fights were planned ahead of time.
The Tkachuk brothers admitted that they planned to pick fights with the opposing team in order to energize their team. And their plan worked.
But the teams’ coaches denied that they had anything to do with the brawls.
Team Canada’s Connor McDavid welcomed the fight and the energy it brought to the stadium, saying, “To be a part of something like that was great, it was great to see from that trio how much this tournament means to the players.”
Team captain Sidney Crosby agreed. “There was commitment and emotion, that’s what we expected.”
The United States ultimately beat Canada and secured a spot in Thursday’s championship game.
But it wasn’t all good news for Team USA. Matthew Tkachuk suffered a lower body injury that benched him for the last 12 minutes of the game.
head coach Mike Sullivan told NHL.com’s Dan Rosen. In an interview following Saturday’s game, head coach Mike Sullivan didn’t address if Tkachuk would be playing in Monday’s matchup against Sweden. It’s likely that he will miss the game in order to rest up for Thursday’s championship game where Team USA has the possibility of facing Team Canada once again.
