Sports and politics are two elements that should be kept away from each other. However, the way Team USA was treated at the Montreal Bell Centre prior to their match against Team Finland in the 4 Nations Face-Off was just disrespectful. In fact, the crowd booed not only the team but also continued to make derogatory remarks during the national anthem.

However, Team USA did reply to all the critics with a dominant 6-1 win over Suomi, and that was enough to silence many around the rink. Also, during the post-match press conference, many American players pointed out the hatred that accumulated towards their national anthem, including the coach, who shared his thoughts on the incident.

First, Connor Hellebuyck, who played a crucial role in the defense as Team USA’s goaltender, shared his feelings: “I paid no attention to it. You have free speech; you can do whatever you want if you are gonna boo the anthem. We sing it for the troops that protected our freedom.” Everything was normal when the crowd ridiculed the players, but things took an ugly turn when they booed the anthem.

It was hurtful for many players who were there to represent Team USA in the international tournament, and coach Mike Sullivan voiced it out, stating, “Listen, you know I think here’s what I will tell you. These guys are hockey players; they are here to play hockey. They are also proud Americans, and, uh, it’s a privilege to represent your nation, and all of us that have the opportunity to participate and be part of this US team, it means a lot to all of us. And to represent our nation is something that we think is bigger than ourselves or the sport for that matter. So from that regard, I think we have guys who are proud Americans.”

The way the crowd treated them was absolutely appalling, regardless of political disputes. Furthermore, he shared his thoughts on the situation, stating, “As far as the national anthem, I’m not sure there’s influence there. That’s really not something we can control; we just wanna play hockey and represent our nation in the right way.”

Sullivan did understand that there are many issues and things that plagued such a response from the crowd. This particular victory over Finland is a verdict on what Team USA is capable of. Currently, they stand at the top of the charts with 3 points, and Team Canada trailing behind with 2 points. However, since this will be a battle to remember, here’s what one of the biggest players of the night had to say about it.

Ready for the next 4 Nations Face-Off game

So who displayed immense confidence after the match against Team Finland? It was Matthew Tkachuk. And his words? Talking to Sportsnet’s Kyle Bukauskas, the American hockey star opened up on his next match against Team Canada, stating, “I think I’ve thought about this game for nine years, so we’ll be ready for it.” 

Indeed, Tkachuk is ready for the action, and surely, this particular 6-1 victory against Finland has boosted his and the team’s morale. But he was not the only dominator of the evening; his brother Brady was another formidable force to reckon with, as Team Finland had a tough time after the third period, their hope of winning lay in shambles by Team USA.

With just 15 seconds to the final part of the game, Matthew scored a fascinating goal, followed by Jake Guentzel during 00:26. By this time, all hopes for Team Finland were crushed, as what seemed like a doable comeback, became a nightmare tough enough to wake up from. But this wasn’t all, as, during 3:00 and 11:13, the Tkachuk brothers dealt a final blow to their opponents, securing a dominant victory for Team USA.