Saturday night’s much anticipated 4 Nations Face-Off matchup between the United States and Canada started with a bang — or three bangs. There were three separate fights in the opening nine seconds of the game. The first fight came right off after the opening face-off, pitting USA’s Matthew Tkachuk against Canada’s Brandon Hagel. It didn’t take long for the next fight to break out. Immediately after the subsequent face-off, fight No. 2 commenced between USA’s Brady Tkachuk (Matthew’s brother) and Canada’s Sam Bennett. Fans had to wait a little longer for the next fight, but not by much; the third bout was between USA’s J.T. Miller and Canada’s Colton Parayko.
During an interview with Emily Kaplan, Canada’s coach, Jon Cooper, weighed in on the intense start of the game. He was asked about his reaction to the fights, stating, “Two passionate teams… It’s been a long time waiting. Ten years. These guys have waited for this and you can tell, this is not an All-Star Game. This is a battle of the best of the best. And it’s so fun to be a part of it.”
What was Canada coach Jon Cooper’s reaction to three fights in the first nine seconds of the 4 Nations Face-Off game vs. USA?
“Two passionate teams…This is not an All-Star Game. This is a battle of the best of the best.” pic.twitter.com/WvK5Xa5ec8
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) February 16, 2025
USA vs. Canada started off in MADNESS 😳
📺: ABC/ESPN+/Disney+ pic.twitter.com/BrWlXzMb7J
— ESPN (@espn) February 16, 2025
Regardless of individual opinions on the fights, Cooper’s point stands: this event carries significantly more intensity than an All-Star Game. If the players are clearly amped up about the games, fans will surely follow suit.
