USA-Canada Hockey Rivalry Erupts with Three Fights in First Nine Seconds

The intense hockey rivalry between the United States and Canada wasted no time heating up on Saturday night. Facing off for the first time since the 2022 Olympics, the two teams set the tone immediately—three fights broke out within the first nine seconds of play.

The fireworks began just two seconds into the game when Team USA’s Matthew Tkachuk and Team Canada’s Brandon Hagel dropped their gloves and squared off right after the opening faceoff.

Not to be outdone, Tkachuk’s younger brother, Brady, got involved a second later, challenging Canada’s Sam Bennett as soon as play resumed.

Then, six seconds later, tensions flared again near the Canadian net. A skirmish quickly escalated into a full-blown fight between American forward JT Miller and Canada’s Colton Parayko.

Speaking to Sportsnet during the first intermission, Hagel revealed that Matthew Tkachuk had instigated their fight, asking him before puck drop if he wanted to start things off with some fireworks.

“Just trying to bring some energy into the building,” Hagel explained. “He asked, and I’m not backing down from him.”

Adding to the charged atmosphere was the home crowd, which had already riled up Team USA by loudly booing the American national anthem before the game even began.

But beyond the emotions of the night, this game held special significance—it was the first time in a decade that both teams had their full roster of NHL stars. The NHL had kept its players out of the 2018 and 2022 Olympics, forcing the U.S. and Canada to rely on younger athletes and players from other leagues in Pyeongchang and Beijing.

This high-stakes showdown was the highlight of the 4 Nations Face-Off, a tournament featuring the United States, Canada, Sweden, and Finland in place of the NHL All-Star Game. The competition began with round-robin matchups, with the top two teams advancing to the final.

On the ice, Canada struck first. Five minutes into the game, Connor McDavid broke through the U.S. defense and found the back of the net to give his team a 1-0 lead. However, the Americans responded quickly—Jake Guentzel capitalized on a perfect pass from Jack Eichel to even the score.

In the second period, Dylan Larkin put Team USA ahead 2-1 with a well-placed shot. Canada pulled goalie Jordan Binnington in the final two minutes, desperately searching for an equalizer, but Guentzel sealed the deal with an empty-net goal, securing a 3-1 victory for the Americans.

With the win, the United States punched its ticket to the 4 Nations Face-Off final, keeping their championship hopes alive in this fierce international showdown.