Team USA is back in action! In what is now a routine match, the Americans have locked horns with the Swedes for their third match of the 4 Nations Face-Off. But fans only want to know one thing: does Brady Tkachuk have something brewing behind the doors this time as well?

The Ottawa Senators star was one of the masterminds who had planned to start off last Sunday’s match against Canada with a bang. Along with his brother Matthew Tkachuk and Rangers star J.T. Miller, it seemed like Brady sought to give the Canadian fans a taste of their feelings after being booed for two nights in a row. Naturally, before tonight’s game, questions about the possibility of seeing something similar were doing the rounds in everyone’s minds.

A post by B/R Open Ice from February 17 shared what the younger Tkachuk brother’s approach was for tonight’s match. Verizon studio roped in Brady for a pre-match interview, where former hockey star Paul Bissonnette asked the 25-year-old if the latter had any group texts going as the preparation for facing the Swedes at the TD Garden.

“I don’t know, I guess we’ll have to wait and see what the first couple of shoots have to tell for us,” Brady Tkachuk replied, unwilling to truly reveal if he and his teammates had anything special on the menu for tonight’s match. However, the forward admitted that the experience would be a rewarding affair, no matter what.

“I don’t know, we’re just going to go out there and play, have some fun, and enjoy being in front of these home fans,” Tkachuk looked contained by the fact that the second portion of the round-robin tournament will be played at the USA’s stronghold. The Boston venue will also be the place where the USA and Canada clash one last time in the tournament for the championship game this Thursday, and Brady’s relaxed demeanor from tonight is definitely not something to be expected for the next match.

Brady Tkachuk and co. may go at it again

The 4 Nations Face-Off was projected as a “Landmark International Hockey Tournament” with the potential to replace the NHL All-Star game in the future. For understandable reasons, the anticipation and hype surrounding the event were already off the charts. However, the American hockey connoisseurs, nor the players were prepared for the treatment they would receive on the other side of the border. In the USA’s first match of the 4 Nations against Finland, a chorus of boos filled the Bell Centre when the US national anthem played.

While many opined that the ongoing political tensions between the two nations were the reason behind the crowd’s reaction, it was obvious that many Team USA members, including head coach Mike Sullivan, weren’t entirely pleased with the treatment. The USA won the match (6-1) nonetheless and proceeded to face the host nation on Sunday.

There too, the Americans and their national anthem faced hostility. But the Tkachuk brothers and J.T. Miller made sure to send a message (through their fists) to the Canadians. Asked about what the message was, Matthew Tkachuk said, “The message we wanted to send is ‘It’s our time.'” And finally, when Team Canada stepped into the TD Garden last night to clash against Finland, the Boston crowd stepped in. In what seemed like a reaction to the booing of The Star-Spangled Banner, some fans in TD Garden were heard booing Canada’s national anthem. Who knows? There might be a repeat of that on Thursday. And with the fans behind his back, Brady Tkachuk may just choose to reactivate that group chat again. Whatever happens. One thing is for sure. It’s not going to be quiet, one way or the other. What are your predictions for Thursday? Let us know in the comments.