Thursday night’s Four Nations Face-Off final between Team USA and NHL star Connor McDavid‘s Team Canada will be an epic and intense matchup. The Edmonton Oilers forward was excited about the big game and sent a warning to his rivals, including a player who has been the talk of the town in recent hours: Matthew Tkachuk.
Tkachuk has made it clear on more than one occasion that there is something special about facing the True North in the tournament. First, he said “he waited nine years” to play in the round-robin game that Team USA ended up winning 3-1, but his comments didn’t stop there.
“Stanley Cup, Game 7 aside, this is probably the biggest game we’ve all played up until this point. It doesn’t matter what happened on Saturday, it’s a fresh start on Thursday, and we can’t wait,” Tkachuk boldly admitted before the game against Team Canada. McDavid was not silent on the subject, offering his rivals a heads-up on what to expect in the big game at Boston’s TD Garden.
McDavid’s message to Team USA
“I’m really excited about it. It’s obviously a great opportunity to make our country proud. A lot has been said about 10 years and no best-on-best but ultimately, just excited to play in a great building, in a hostile environment,” McDavid said prior to the game against Team USA, according to NHL.com.
The Oilers star’s statement is one more of the many cross-cutting warnings that frame the heated context of the Four Nations final. Not only may Tkachuk be anxious to get on the ice, but McDavid has shown that he is in great shape and wants to win the tournament along with captain Sidney Crosby and the rest of his teammates.
McDavid’s Four Nations Face-Off performance
Amidst the intense attention from the ice hockey world, McDavid can say he has lived up to the expectations and pressure. The 28-year-old forward has four points in the tournament, the product of two goals and two assists. At this stage of his career, he will undoubtedly be a danger card.
Brandon Hagel also sent a message to Team USA
“I think we’re playing for the flag, not for the cameras,” Hagel told Tkachuk and the rest of the U.S. team, according to Sportsnet. “That’s a part of Canada that we have there. We don’t need to start anything,” the Tampa Bay Lightning left winger declared.