U.S. national team forward Matthew Tkachuk shared his thoughts on the altercations with Canadian hockey players that took place at the start of the Four Nations Tournament, which ended with a 3-1 victory for the U.S.
The game, held in Montreal, kicked off with several scuffles, and Tkachuk was involved in one just three seconds into the match.
Matthew Tkachuk, quoted by the NHL press office
The message we wanted to send is 'It's our time.' We’re in a hostile environment and we want to show that we’re not backing down. We felt in this environment, on this stage in the tournament, and you’ve got to give those guys credit because they did the exact same thing. There was a little discussion [about the fight] going on during the day. There was a group chat.
The victory over Canada secured the U.S. team a spot in the tournament finals. Their last group stage match is scheduled for February 18, when they will face Sweden, while Canada will play against Finland a day earlier.
This is the first time since 2010 that the Canadian team, including Sidney Crosby, has faced a loss.
