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Greg Wyshynski
BOSTON — Canada coach Jon Cooper hated the result but had to admit that Team USA’s thrilling, brutal 3-1 win in the NHL 4 Nations Face-Off on Saturday night was a transcendent moment for hockey.
“The game is in a better place because last night’s game existed,” he said Sunday.
At its peak, 5.4 million American viewers watched the first “best on best” tournament game between the nations since 2016. Many tuned in to see generations of elite NHL players facing each other for the first time while repping their nations. But the game attracted even more attention after Montreal fans booed the U.S. national anthem — protesting President Donald Trump’s tariffs on Canadian imports and his proposal that Canada become the 51st U.S. state — before the action started with three fights in record succession.
“I knew it was going to be an electric start, but I maybe didn’t expect three fights in the first nine seconds,” Sweden’s Jesper Bratt said. “The arena was already pretty loud, and the fans were already really emotionally engaged. I guess that kind of took it to the next level.”
Team USA players Matthew and Brady Tkachuk and J.T. Miller each had a fight to open the game, which the U.S. won in regulation to clinch a spot in the 4 Nations championship final Thursday night in Boston. Matthew Tkachuk’s fight off the opening face-off was the fastest ever in an NHL international game, topping the previous record of 20 seconds in the 1996 World Cup of Hockey for a fight that involved Matthew’s father, Keith Tkachuk, and Team USA general manager Bill Guerin.
Matthew Tkachuk sat out the final 12:36 of the third period with a lower-body injury. Team USA coach Mike Sullivan said Tkachuk “is continuing to be evaluated,” and he wouldn’t reveal the Florida Panthers star’s status for Monday’s game against Sweden.
Canada forward Travis Konecny said the trio of fights set the game apart Saturday night.
“We’re one of the only sports that still has fighting in it. It’s a war out there,” said Konecny, who plays for the Philadelphia Flyers. “It’s funny: You put the flag behind the meaning of something and guys’ switches just kind of flip.”
Cooper acknowledged that there are some “naysayers” when it comes to fighting in hockey.
“You can say whatever you want about fighting, but that was what ignited the game. Then both teams flexed, and nobody backed down. Then a hockey game broke out and it was a fantastic,” Cooper said. “When you get the best players in the world, not only trying to score but actually checking, this is what you get. You’re holding your breath every time there’s a potential scoring chance, because you don’t know if it’s going to be the last one.”
The game attracted attention for those outside the hockey world, something the players noticed.
“After the game you see things. I saw a lot talking about other leagues and what they do on their All-Star breaks, and then you see the Tkachuks going crazy,” Team USA forward Jack Hughes said. “It’s been a great event for hockey and, honestly, definitely surpassed my expectations. And I’m sure for a lot of the fans too.”
U.S. center Vincent Trocheck, who plays for the New York Rangers, noted that 4 Nations was replacing the NHL’s All-Star Game this season.
“Something like this, when you see the intensity and the emotion and how much guys actually care and want to win and represent their countries, you can’t really compete with that,” he said. “It’s not comparable to an all-star game or a Pro Bowl or something like that. This is something that’s like playoff hockey. This is like Game 7 every night.”
The other teams in the tournament were in awe of the USA-Canada showdown as well. Sweden coach Sam Hallam praised the emotions that were driven by the nations’ hockey rivalry, which spans from world juniors to 4 Nations. Finland forward Erik Haula said it was just “a great hockey game between great players.”
“It’s great for the game and just shows the passion the guys have playing for their country and what it means for everyone,” he said.
What the game could mean for U.S. hockey — and what a rematch with Canada in the championship could elevate even more — is something Sullivan has been considering in its aftermath.
“I thought it was an unbelievable celebration of hockey,” Sullivan said. “It’s great for the sport itself. I think it could inspire another generation of young players to want to play the game, like some of the events that impacted my generation, like the Miracle on Ice team in 1980. There’s so many events like that that inspire the next generation of players.”
Canada takes on Finland on Monday at 1 p.m. ET at TD Garden, facing elimination if the Finns win. The U.S. takes on Sweden at 8 p.m.