“We needed to send a message,” Matthew Tkachuk said after Team USA beat Canada to secure a place at the 4 Nations Face-Off finals. However, the Tkachuk brothers wanted to get that message across from the get-go. The result? Three fights in the opening nine seconds of the clash. And while the USA won on Saturday, Canada clawed themselves back with a 5-3 win over Finland.

So, with the date set for an epic rematch between the two nations, analyst Paul Bissonnette has just one question for defenseman Drew Doughty. “If he were to challenge you on Thursday, would you go him?” asked BizNasty. “You’re putting me on the spot, Biz,” responded the LA Kings defenseman who scored an assist in Canada’s sole goal against the USA.

Although he didn’t seem too keen to start something with Matthew Tkachuk, he didn’t rule out the possibility of dropping gloves against the forward. “I mean, I’ll do anything for my country. And if the time is right and I got to go him, I guess so,” Drew Doughty answered the NHL on TNT host, who had nothing but praise for Doughty’s mindset.

“I love that… Go get him, Dewey. Canada believes in you, boys. Get it done!” encouraged Bissonnette. But why did the former NHL player-turned-analyst mention the elder Tkachuk brother? Well, that’s because Bissonnette is well aware of the “long history” between Doughty and Tkachuck. In fact, the feud between the two players started seven years ago.

The 27-year-old took his shot at Doughty in his rookie year with the Flames. Matthew Tkachuk hit Drew Doughty in the face with an elbow, earning him a suspension. “He’s a pretty dirty player, that kid,” the Kings’ defenseman told NHL insider Jon Rosen after the incident. However, the Team USA forward remained unfazed, kicking off a subtle rivalry that’s lasted to this day. However, what Tkachuk did in Montreal wasn’t a spur-of-the-moment decision.

Matthew Tkachuk executed the plan

The U.S. squad, including the Tkachuk brothers, opened up about their plans going into Saturday’s game. “We’re here in Montreal on a Saturday night. We want it to be our time,” the 27-year-old told the Washington Post in a post-match interview. The Florida Panthers forward’s bother Brady Tkachuk also revealed that dropping the gloves in the opening seconds was part of the plan.

“Yeah, there was a group chat going on today… I think Matthew’s fight to start it off was just such an energy boost. I think I was more excited, more nervous for my own,” explained the Ottawa Senators player who threw hands with Team Canada’s Sam Bennett. Matthew Tkachuk’s brother also said that he asked about wanting to go first, as per the New York Post.

So that’s why Brady Tkachuck and J.T. Miller hung back till Matthew Tkachuk initiated the action. However, Miller was equally excited to take part when the time came. The NHL veteran expressed his feelings to the media later. “That was the coolest experience I’ve probably had on the ice, one of them,” Miller told New York Post’s Mollie Walker.

Naturally, after the exhilarating match, everyone now expects the finals to be even more intense. So it’s not surprising to see Paul Bissonnette ask Drew Doughty such a question, given his history with Tkachuk and the high stakes going into the 4 Nations final.