The last time Matthew Tkachuk wore an American jersey and faced Canada, he was playing in the 2016 world junior championship.
Finally, he gets to do it again on Saturday.
“I think I’ve thought about this game for nine years, so we’ll be ready for it,” the American forward told Sportsnet’s Kyle Bukauskas after notching two goals and an assist in a 6-1 win over Finland on Thursday at the 4 Nations Face-Off in Montreal.
At the 2016 world juniors in Finland, the Florida Panthers forward assisted on goals by Zach Werenski and Auston Matthews in a 4-2 USA win over Canada in the preliminary round.
All three players are again in the U.S. lineup at the 4 Nations.
Tkachuk figures to be the target of plenty of boos from the Montreal crowd on Saturday.
He voiced his displeasure with the crowd for booing the American anthem before the game against Finland, and his gritty style of play tends not to make him a fan favourite in opposing rinks.
All the booing will do, of course, is give Tkachuk extra motivation. He enjoyed the jeers on Thursday when he went on to the ice for warm-ups behind brother Brady Tkachuk.
“That was really really cool. That’s all I’ve got to say,” Matthew Tkachuk said. “It’s a special moment for us to be able to play with each other. I think that’s when it finally set in, when the fans were obviously booing us when we came out for warm-ups and I’m following him. It was unbelievable.”
