Tampa Bay Lightning forward Brandon Hagel was feeling quite patriotic after helping Canada defeat the United States 3-2 in overtime in Thursday's 4 Nations Face-Off championship game.
Following the game, Hagel posted a screenshot of a group chat titled "CHAMPIONS," complete with a Canadian flag. Among those in the chat were Pittsburgh Penguins forward Sidney Crosby (SC), Florida Panthers forward Sam Reinhart (SR), Boston Bruins forward Brad Marchand (BM), Vegas Golden Knights forward Mark Stone (MS) and Winnipeg Jets defenseman Josh Morrissey (JM).
Brandon Hagel starts a group chat 😂 pic.twitter.com/FFpUGWT0Iy
The post seems innocuous enough on its own, but there's a story behind it.
In Saturday's round-robin game, the U.S. defeated Canada 3-1 in one of the most intense hockey games in recent history. That game featured three fights in the first nine seconds, starting with Hagel fighting Panthers and U.S. forward Matthew Tkachuk two seconds in. The two already don't like each other from playing for in-state rivals, but they took their rivalry to another level in this tournament.
Ottawa Senators forward Brady Tkachuk, who was representing the U.S. alongside his brother, explained that they had a group chat with New York Rangers forward J.T. Miller to coordinate the three fights in Saturday's game, essentially trying to add an element of chaos. Brady fought Panthers forward Sam Bennett, while Miller fought St. Louis Blues defenseman Colton Parayko.
In response, Hagel said, "We don't need to initiate anything. We don't need any group chats going on," after Canada and the U.S. secured a rematch in the championship game. Matthew then chirped back by saying, "Maybe their team doesn't like each other," setting up for a thrilling final.
Indeed it was, and this time, Hagel and Canada got the last laugh.
Hagel, 26, has continuously improved since joining the Lightning at the 2022 trade deadline. The Saskatchewan native is on track for his best NHL season, sitting at 26 goals and 62 points at the 4 Nations break. He's not just a scorer, though, as he plays well defensively and has a good deal of grit to his game.
Hagel and Matthew will likely be at each other's throats as long as they're both playing in the Sunshine State, but the former has the bragging rights after this outstanding tournament.
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