The United States and Canada will take to the ice Thursday for the 4 Nations Face-Off finale, and if Saturday's prelude was any indication of what's to come, tensions will be running high throughout the game.
Their clash on Saturday saw three fights break out before even nine seconds had ticked off the clock, and there could very well be more on the way come Thursday.
One potential heavyweight matchup could be in the cards, thanks to a gentle shove from TNT's Paul Bissonnette. After Canada's victory over Finland on Monday, Bissonnette spoke with defenseman Drew Doughty and asked if there was any potential for him to drop gloves with USA forward Matthew Tkachuk, citing their long history.
"You're putting me on the spot, Biz. I'll do anything for my country. If the time is right and I've got to go, I guess so," Doughty replied while laughing.
Drew Doughty on potentially dropping the gloves with Matthew Tkachuk on Thursday...
— NHLonTNT (@NHL_On_TNT) February 18, 2025
"I'll do anything for my country" 👀 pic.twitter.com/taM4Rj9hPG
The feud between Tkachuk and Doughty dates all the way back to 2017, when the former was a rookie, after Tkachuk caught the defenseman with an elbow that sent him to the ice in pain. After the game, Doughty called Tkachuk a "dirty player."
Things again escalated a few weeks later when Tkachuk tried to line up a brutal hit on Doughty in open ice, but the veteran defenseman managed to duck out of the way of the brunt of the contact. They've had multiple run-ins since then, most notably in 2019, at which point Doughty made clear that he has "no respect" for Tkachuk.
While things have ultimately settled down between the pair, their past disdain for one another could be spotlighted once again when Canada and the USA meet in Boston on Thursday.
Tkachuk showed his eagerness to drop gloves against Team Canada, having done so on the opening face-off on Saturday, and he could very well look to set the tone with another fight against one of his longtime rivals in Thursday's final.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Drew Doughty Doesn't Rule Out Potentially Fighting Matthew Tkachuk During USA-Canada.
