Not only were tensions high prior to the USA and Canada facing off in the NHL's 4 Nations Face-Off on Saturday night, but they remained built up post-puck drop.
Just nine seconds into the contest, three (!) fights broke out between the two teams. Matthew Tkachuk and Brandon Hagel started it off, Brady Tkachuk and Sam Bennett answered on the next face-off, and JT Miller and Colton Parayko rounded out the fun following a stop inside Canada's crease.
Here's a look at all three bouts:
MATTHEW TKACHUK AND BRANDON HAGEL DROP THE GLOVES OFF THE BAT 🤯 pic.twitter.com/NlBt1UcHRf
NOW BRADY TKACHUK AND SAM BENNETT ARE THROWING HAYMAKERS 🔥
THIS IS USA-CANADA HOCKEY 😱 pic.twitter.com/TlqEfR0uIL
WE'VE GOT A THIRD FIGHT NINE SECONDS INTO THE GAME
JT MILLER AND COLTON PARAYKO 🚨 pic.twitter.com/EcYyGPl8Ir
As Matthew Tkachuk's brother Brady met him in the penalty box, the two were visibly fired up about how they got things going for their home country:
HOW ARE WE FEELING ???? pic.twitter.com/EB2MeKONsO
Once the real hockey began, the scoring opened up at a rapid rate. Connor McDavid put one home for Team Canada at the 5:31 mark—with Jake Guentzel answering less than five minutes later.
The 4 Nations Face-Off will continue on Monday in Boston with two more contests—Canada vs. Finland and Sweden vs. USA—before the final on Thursday night.
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Mike Kadlick is a contributor to the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. Before joining SI in November 2024, he covered the New England Patriots for WEEI sports radio in Boston and continues to do so for CLNS Media. He has a master's in public relations from Boston University. Kadlick is also an avid runner and a proud lover of all things pizza.
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