Tkachuk brothers, Matthews expected to play for United States in 4 Nations final
Forwards say they will ‘be ready to go’ against Canada in championship game
© Andre Ringuette/4NFO/World Cup of Hockey
BOSTON — When the puck drops on the championship game of the 4 Nations Face-Off, the United States will have its full complement of forwards, with Auston Matthews, Matthew Tkachuk and Brady Tkachuk all expected to play against Canada at TD Garden on Thursday (8 p.m. ET; ESPN+, ESPN, Disney+, SN, TVAS).
Matthews and Matthew Tkachuk were both held out of the U.S. game against Sweden on Monday, and Brady Tkachuk was injured in the first period and did not play the rest of the game. Brady was back on the ice for the United States’ morning skate Thursday, but Matthews, Matthew Tkachuk, Chris Kreider and Jack Eichel were not.
Coach Mike Sullivan said the team is healthy with the exception of defenseman Charlie McAvoy, but that the roster would be a game-time decision.
McAvoy, the Boston Bruins defenseman, was taken to Massachusetts General Hospital on Monday after sustaining an injury to his right shoulder acromioclavicular joint in the game against Finland on Feb. 13. He was later diagnosed as having an infection in the shoulder and a “significant injury to his AC joint,” according to a statement by Bruins head team physician Peter Asnis. McAvoy was released from the hospital on Thursday.
Having both Tkachuks and Matthews will be significant for the U.S. in the final.
“Brady and Matthew, first and foremost, are really good hockey players,” Sullivan said Wednesday. “And they’ve been a big part of the success that we’ve enjoyed to this point in this tournament. I also think they have the ability through their personality to give our team a whole lot of confidence and swagger.
“I know what this tournament means to them personally and how important it is to put our best game on the ice. So I know they’re excited to play. They’re excited for this opportunity. It’s an unbelievable opportunity. This is as good as it gets with respect to best-on-best.”
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Matthews, who did not play on Monday, said his upper-body injury popped up during the tournament, but that he was much improved. Sullivan referred to it as “upper-body soreness” earlier this week.
“Feeling a lot better,” Matthews said. “A lot better. Just woke up Monday, just a lot of discomfort. Skating didn’t feel very good, so just made a decision with the staff to hold me out for that game and just focus on feeling better. Definitely been making a lot of progress.”
Matthews has dealt with an upper-body injury at times throughout this season, including taking a trip to Germany to address the issue, and has played in only 40 of the Toronto Maple Leafs’ 55 games this season. He has 45 points (20 goals, 25 assists).
But this was something new.
“It was kind of just a weird thing,” he said. “Like I said, it definitely has progressed well and I’m feeling much better. So I anticipate tomorrow will feel even better than I did today. And there’s no way I was missing this game. I’ll be ready to go.”
It was the same thing Matthew said.
“I’m ready to go,” he said. “It’s going to be an incredible game. I’ll be ready to go.”
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Brady’s injury appears to have come at 5:12 of the first period against Sweden when the forward lost an edge and crashed into Sweden goalie Samuel Ersson’s left leg and skate. The net was dislodged on the play. Tkachuk took a 10-second shift before heading to the dressing room, later coming out for a 14-second shift at 14:11, but that was his last of the night.
Sullivan said after the game that Brady had been held out of the rest of the game more for precautionary reasons.
“It was a weird play,” Matthew said. “I didn’t really know what happened, I still don’t really know what happened, but I think he’s saving everything he has for tomorrow night. I’m very confident he’ll be at his absolute best.”
It was Matthew and Brady Tkachuk who provided some of the fireworks in the first game against Canada, on Saturday, with each fighting as part of the three fights in nine seconds to open the game. Matthew started the fisticuffs with Brandon Hagel, with Brady fighting Matthew’s Florida Panthers teammate Sam Bennett shortly thereafter.
“As I’ve said all along here, I think there’s a mutual respect on both sides for how talented the teams are,” Sullivan said. “I also think from our standpoint with respect to those two guys, there’s a certain determination that those guys have to want to win.”
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USA’s Auston Matthews, Matthew Tkachuk expected to play vs. Canada
BOSTON — Aside from defenseman Charlie McAvoy, who was ruled out for the 4 Nations Face-Off championship game with an infected right shoulder, Team USA is expected to have every other player who was banged up available on Thursday.
“There’s no way I was missing this game,” USA captain Auston Matthews said after participating in practice on Wednesday, following a late scratch against Sweden due to upper-body soreness.
Matthew Tkachuk was also on the TD Garden ice after missing the final 12:36 of the first game against Canada with what was termed a lower-body injury.
He then sat out Team USA’s 2-1 loss to Sweden on Monday night, as well.
Brother Brady Tkachuk was the only questionable player who did not participate in practice, but head coach Mike Sullivan said it was because the Senators captain wasn’t feeling well.
“He’s saving everything he has for tomorrow night,” Matthew Tkachuk said.
Sullivan also asserted that he expects Brady Tkachuk to play.
The flu continues to run rampant around the tournament, so more exceptions have been made.
According to multiple reports, Sabres center Tage Thompson and Devils defenseman Brett Pesce have been invited by Team USA to come to Boston and serve as reserves just in case.
The same rules will apply for the two extra Americans as they did for Thomas Harley when he came in for Canada: They cannot even participate in USA’s morning skate Thursday unless the team falls below the roster threshold.
Regarding Quinn Hughes, who Sullivan mistakenly announced was headed to Boston before he was spotted at Canucks practice in Vancouver, word out of Vancouver is that Hughes isn’t medically cleared.
Sullivan said his understanding was that Hughes was not coming to Boston as of that moment, but that Team USA general manager Bill Guerin was working through it.
“It’d be fun,” Hughes’ brother and would-be USA teammate, Jack Hughes, said. “Obviously, he was on the team and a big part of the team, and even if he comes and can’t play, that’ll give everyone a big boost that he supports us and he is willing to come all this way to come just sit and be an extra if there’s no injury or nothing.”
The loss of McAvoy, who played a major role in shutting down Canada’s top offensive players in their round-robin win, is a big blow to Team USA’s blue line, but was necessary.
The Bruins announced that McAvoy sustained an injury to his right shoulder AC joint in the game against Finland last week.
He underwent treatment, which Boston pointed out was administered by Team USA’s medical staff — largely made up of Minnesota Wild employees.
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Upon further evaluation in Boston, it was determined that McAvoy’s shoulder was infected, in addition to having a “significant injury to his AC joint.”
“I had no intention of talking to Chuck or [David Pastrnak] or any of my teammates until this tournament was over,” McAvoy’s Bruins teammate and Canadian adversary, Brad Marchand, said. “But obviously in a situation like that — Chucky’s one of my best friends and I care a lot about him.”
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We have Auston Matthews’ health update ahead of Canada-USA 4 Nations rematch
Talk of Team USA captain’s apparent injury and status for the championship game was making hockey headlines on Tuesday
Well past the NHL season’s halfway mark, it’s a safe bet most players in both the Team Canada and Team USA locker rooms ahead of Thursday night’s 4 Nations Face-Off finale are dealing with some manner of injury.
Regarding Team USA captain Auston Matthews, who traditionally dons the C in a Maple Leaf-crested jersey in Toronto, talk of his apparent injury and status for the championship game was making hockey headlines on Tuesday.
Just ahead of Monday’s contest against Sweden, Sportsnet’s Elliot Friedman was among the first to report the Arizona native was scratched and later reported it was due to what was dubbed “upper-body soreness.”
“There’s no concern with him missing the final on Thursday,” the broadcaster posted on X. “But they are being cautious tonight.”
Matthews, who has one assist in the two tournament games he’s played, took part in Monday’s morning skate and spoke to the media afterward, noting the tournament has been demanding.
“You see the level of play that’s been happening in all the games,” he said in Boston. “I mean, it’s been high intensity, high level, physical. I mean, it’s been playoff-like.”
Come Tuesday afternoon, Friedman quoted U.S. head coach Mike Sullivan as saying he “would anticipate Auston Matthews being available for the championship game.”
After partaking in practice on Wednesday, Matthews confirmed he’ll suit up and told a scrum of reporters: “There’s no way I was missing this game.”
He also said the discomfort that kept him out of Monday’s lineup has improved and specified it wasn’t related to an injury reportedly suffered during the pre-season and plaguing him since.
The Leafs superstar has missed 15 regular season games, all of them due to the unidentified but recurring upper-body injury. During a nine-day injured list residency in November, he went to Germany to consult with a specialist known to work with high-profile athletes. He had another six-game layoff in late December and early January.
Meanwhile, back in Toronto where Matthews’ teammates were skating to stay fresh for the NHL season’s resumption on Saturday, Maple Leafs coach Craig Berube told hockey writers he’s been hands-off but said GM Brad Treliving had been in touch with Team USA regarding the superstar’s status.
Asked about the injuries coming out of the tournament, Berube said it’s out of the Leafs’ hands, but “it’s concerning.”
“But that’s not for me to make those decisions,” he added.
Game time for the tourney’s highly-anticipated final at TD Garden in Boston is 8 p.m. EST in Canada.
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