Team USA smashed Finland at the inaugural 4 Nations Face-Off. While the clash was competitive till the second period, Team USA’s onslaught on the Finnish goal saw them win 6-1. Yet, despite the massive victory, the match started off on a sour note, with fans at Bell Centre booing the U.S. national anthem. Unsurprisingly, stars Brady and Matthew Tkachuk faced a tough question during the post-match press conference.
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iHeart’s Chris Ryan took his opportunity to ask the brothers about their feelings after hearing the boos ahead of the game. Naturally, an expression of discomfort washed over their faces as the reporter asked for their reaction. Brady Tkachuk refused to answer, tapping his bother to speak. However, his brother Matthew was also reluctant to open up.
And when the Panthers’ star spoke, he kept it short. “I didn’t like it and that’s all I got,” he said matter-of-factly, refusing to elaborate further. It seemed that the question made the brothers uncomfortable. In fact, Matthew buried his face in his hands the moment Ryan mentioned the national anthem.
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The unfortunate timing of President Donald Trump’s decision to impose a 25% good tariff on Canada has cast a shadow over the much-anticipated tournament. And while Matthew Tkachuk didn’t like to see his country’s national anthem getting booed, Canadian star Brad Marchand also had a strong opinion on the situation.
“I don’t respect that. At all… I mean, the anthems are there as a sign of respect,” said the 36-year-old while discussing the probability of fans booing the U.S. anthem in Montreal. And as for Team USA’s captain Auston Matthew’s reaction to the crowd booing him, he was pretty calm about it.
Matthew Tkachuk’s USA teammate came prepared
Matthews has never been a crowd-favorite in Montreal thanks to his association with Montreal’s NHL arch-rivals Toronto Maple Leafs. And fans at the Bell Centre made sure to remind him of that during the opening ceremony on Wednesday, as they booed him. Auston Matthews, however, remained unfazed.
In fact, he was not just unfazed, he saw it coming. “Kind of expected it. It’s all good. I think it was a cool moment just to kick off the tournament,” said the 27-year-old. Moreover, the booing ended up doing his confidence a favor. “It’s something you just embrace and have fun with. I mean, if you’re getting booed you must be doing something right … I take it as a good thing or maybe as a sign of respect,” Matthews added.
So it’s safe to assume that Matthews knew those boos would only amplify tonight, and that’s exactly what happened. The fans hurled their disapproval at the U.S. captain all night. Matthew Tkachuk’s team captain also explained that not just he but the entire U.S. squad remains unfazed by the booing. In fact, according to the NHL player, Team USA is ready to take on the “villain role” during the 4 Nations Tournament.
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Saubhagya Mukherjee