A game between the United States and Canada descended into chaos on Saturday, with three separate fights breaking out between players from both sides within the first nine seconds.
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02-25, 2025The United States defeated Canada 3-1 in the Four Nations Face-Off held at Montreal's Bell Centre, with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in attendance. The match was set against a backdrop of tension between the two countries, as the American national anthem was met with loud boos from the home crowd before the game.
Booing the American national anthem has become a common occurrence at NHL and NBA games held in Canada. This follows previous instances where U.S. President Donald Trump suggested imposing tariffs on goods imported from the North American neighbor, and he also floated the idea of Canada becoming the 51st state of the United States.
Just two seconds into the game, Canada's Brandon Hagel and the United States' Matthew Tkachuk were ejected for fighting. A second later, Tkachuk's brother Brady and Canada's Sam Bennett became embroiled in a heated clash. Six seconds later, a third and final brawl erupted, with JT Miller and Canada's Colton Parayko exchanging blows.
U.S. coach Mike Sullivan stated, "I think it just goes to show you how much the game means to the players. Both teams are very competitive and have a lot of pride in their respective teams and their countries. To me, when you have that type of investment in trying to win, it shows. What a great hockey game to be a part of."
Canadian coach Jon Cooper, a two-time Stanley Cup winner, added, "It wasn't planned. It wasn't two coaches pushing guys out there saying 'this is going to happen' — none of that happened. It was completely spontaneous."
Another backdrop to the game was that top NHL players haven't faced each other on the international stage in 10 years. Traditionally, the league's best players skip the World Championships, and the NHL didn't send players to the 2018 or 2022 Winter Olympics. Cooper added, "That might have been 10 years of international hockey being let out in a minute and a half."
Two goals from Jake Guentzel and another from Dylan Larkin secured the United States' spot in the Four Nations Face-Off final, with Connor McDavid scoring for the home side. Canada will play their final group game against Finland on Monday, while the United States will face Sweden.
