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It appears that the feeling was mutual between Matthew Tkachuk and Brandon Hagel. Immediately following puck drop on Saturday’s 4 Nations Face-Off match between USA and Canada, won 3-1 by the Americans, Tkachuk and Hagel threw their gloves to the ground and sparred with each other.

Matthew Tkachuk responded to Team Canada winger Brandon Hagel's jab that Team USA is "playing for the cameras" before the two teams' showdown in the 4 Nations Face-Off Final.

Tampa Bay Lightning forward Brandon Hagel was feeling quite patriotic after helping Canada defeat the United States 3-2 in overtime in Thursday's 4 Nations Face

Canadian forward Brandon Hagel said the animosity at the start of the game wasn't just for showmanship. When the Americans and Canadians met on Saturday night, a 3-1 win for the U.S., there were three fights in the first nine seconds of the game.

The post followed Canada’s thrilling 3-2 overtime victory in the 4 Nations Face-Off final against its American rivals.

Sporting News breaks down how Canada's Brad Marchand and Brandon Hagel trolled Team USA's Matthew and Brady Tkachuk after the championship game. The first meeting between the U.S. and Canada at 4 ...

The reasons differ from player to player and from one situation to the next. The three American forwards, for example, infamously had a group chat before the game in which they all pledged to get the crowd going by fighting in the game. Canada’s Brandon Hagel, on the other hand, had a different reason.

Tkachuk, meanwhile, is a slam dunk to represent Team USA in the 2026 Winter Games. His thunderous performance in the 4 Nations Face-Off makes him a Stars-and-Stripes lock, alongside his brother Matthew.

Team Canada forward Brandon Hagel dropped a fiery comment on his fight with USA's Matthew Tkachuk during Canada's 3-1 loss.