By Kwame Bediako
The United States ice hockey team and Canada’s ice hockey team clashed in a 4 Nations Face Off, descending into chaos, marked by a series of fights within the first nine seconds. The 4 Nations fixture, held at Montreal’s Bell Centre, saw the US take on Canada in a heated encounter.
Despite the initial disruptions, the US emerged victorious with a 3-1 win, with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in attendance. The game was played against a backdrop of simmering tensions between the two neighbouring nations. The United States recently imposed tariffs on Canadian goods, while President Donald Trump had hinted at exploring the idea of Canada joining the US as the 51st state, further inflaming tensions.
The contest itself was dominated by physicality and quick reflexes, with Canada’s Brandon Hagel and USA player Matthew Tkachuk engaging in the first fight just two seconds into the game. The intensity escalated rapidly, with Tkachuk’s brother Brady and Canadian forward Sam Bennett exchanging heated words within a second.
The third and final fight occurred six seconds later, pitting US forward JT Miller against Canada’s Colton Parayko. Both teams’ coaches, Mike Sullivan of the US and Jon Cooper of Canada, quickly addressed the chaos, with Cooper emphasizing that the fights were organic and not premeditated.
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