Brad Marchand got the last laugh as Canada emerged victorious in the 4 Nations Face-Off. And it didn’t take long for him to fire back at the Tkachuk brothers’ off-ice antics, claiming they “got ahead of themselves” during the tournament.
The group-stage clash between the United States and Canada will go down as one of the most intense and entertaining games in hockey history. After Canadian fans booed the American anthem, the players wasted no time responding—dropping the gloves for three fights within the first nine seconds. At the center of it all, to absolutely no one’s surprise, were the Tkachuk brothers.
Tkachuks’ feud with Canada
Known for their rough and physical playing styles, Brady and Matthew Tkachuk were in opponents’ faces throughout the tournament, and both got into fights against Canada. But it didn’t stop there. Following Team USA’s 3-1 victory over Canada, the Tkachuks were vocal in the media—especially after Canada’s Brandon Hagel, who fought Matthew in the first scrap, took a shot at them.
“I did it for the flags, not the cameras,” Hagel said, referencing reports that the Tkachuks had coordinated their fights in a group chat.
“Well, I mean, maybe their team doesn’t like each other if they don’t have group chats,” Matthew Tkachuk responded.
Brad Marchand slams back
After the group-stage win, Matthew also confidently declared, “It’s our time now.” But in the championship final, it was Canada who had the last laugh. Brady Tkachuk scored one of the goals, but the game ended in a 2-2 tie in regulation. In overtime, goalie Jordan Binnington came up with several clutch saves to keep Team USA from securing the win. Instead, superstar Connor McDavid sealed the championship for Canada with the game-winning goal.
After the game, Brad Marchand didn’t hold back when asked about the Tkachuk brothers.
“The Tkachuk brothers, they play their game, they do what they do. But sometimes, when you shoot your mouth off in the media, it bites you,” Marchand told reporters. “You can do that during the season, but when you’re playing best-on-best, it’s different.”
Marchand also admitted that the Tkachuks’ talk had given Canada some extra motivation heading into the final.
“They got a little ahead of themselves,” he added. “But they’re great players. There aren’t many guys in the league who do what they do, and they’re extremely effective. But when you start giving teams ammo, it can work against you.”
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