The trio of fights that kicked off the matchup between Team USA and Canada at the 4 Nations Face-Off were among the biggest talking points from the entire international best-on-best tournament.
Intensity levels were through the roof leading into the game, and the tone was set early by none other than Matthew Tkachuk, when he and Canada's Brandon Hagel dropped their gloves immediately after the game-opening puck drop.
Speaking with Sports Illustrated as part of Great Clips's Check-In to Win Campaign, Tkachuk discussed the fights involving himself, his younger brother Brady Tkachuk and fellow Team USA standout J.T. Miller.
"It didn't even matter who [Canada] was starting, [Brady and Miller] knew that I was gonna ask whoever was standing next to me [to drop the gloves.] It could've been anybody. Could've been [Connor] McDavid, could've been [Sidney Crosby]. It would've been anybody. That's what was gonna happen." said Tkachuk.
Tkachuk indicated that he and Hagel only agreed to throw down in the moments before the puck was dropped. Whether or not it was Hagel waiting for him in the face off circle, he was planning to drop his gloves regardless.
The decision to fight was made by himself, Brady and Miller in a group text before the game. Tkachuk indicated that their goal was to provide a spark of momentum and set the tone for the team before the game got going.
And set the tone they did. All three of them dropped the gloves within the first nine seconds of game time, adding fuel to the fire of the rivalry match.
"We were really just talking beforehand, and mainly in person, before the game. [We wanted] to find a way to get as much momentum on our side in this hostile environment, really just find a way to show how united of a group we are and how we're gonna stick together. This is probably going to be one of the craziest atmospheres we're all going to play in in our lives, so how do we get as much momentum and advantage for our team as possible? I thought it was an awesome way to start the game in a crazy game, and I know the three of us enjoyed it and the rest of the team took a lot from it. We're happy we did it and it was just a great atmosphere."
The trio had no regrets about dropping their gloves early in the game, and the decision to do so certainly changed the nature of the competition, providing a boost of confidence for Team USA as it looked to overcome the challenge of playing against Canada on the road in Montreal's Bell Centre.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Matthew Tkachuk Says He'd Have Fought Anyone, Even Crosby or McDavid, in USA-Canada Game.