Tkachuk Brothers loom over Team USA’s Olympic campaign in Milan after explosive Canada run-ins
The Tkachuk Brothers are headed to the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan as part of Team USA, and their reputation for aggressive, agitator hockey has made them central figures whenever the United States meets Canada. Their history of on-ice scrums, including three fights within nine seconds during the 2025 4 Nations Face-Off, means their presence will shape how opponents prepare and how fans react.
Tkachuk Brothers and Milan Olympic roster
Both Matthew and Brady Tkachuk are listed on the Team USA roster for the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan. This marks their second straight February playing together on the same national team after they teamed up at the 2025 4 Nations Face-Off. Their selection ensures the siblings will again be focal points in high-stakes meetings between the United States and Canada.
2025 Montreal fights and the 4 Nations Face-Off
During the 2025 4 Nations Face-Off, in a preliminary game in Montreal in February 2025, the brothers engaged in three fights within nine seconds immediately after the opening whistle. That burst of violence was explicitly described as an effort to "send a message" to Canadian spectators and stands as the most cited single incident that crystallizes why they are often at the center of USA–Canada tensions.
Roles with Florida Panthers and Ottawa Senators
Matthew Tkachuk serves as an alternate captain for the Florida Panthers and is credited with contributing to the Panthers' consecutive Stanley Cup victories in 2024 and 2025. Brady Tkachuk is captain of the Ottawa Senators. Those formal leadership roles at the NHL level underscore why their conduct at the international level draws disproportionate attention.
Tactics, criticism and on-ice consequences
Both brothers play an aggressive, agitating style that has frequently resulted in ejections and brawls. Matthew in particular faces ongoing criticism for what opponents and some fans call "turtling"—provoking opponents to draw penalties and then avoiding fistfights when gloves come off. That pattern of play has produced sharp reactions: many fans and rival players find the tactics irritating or "shameful, " while others acknowledge that teams covet their ability to help win.
Family history and outspoken remarks
The brothers often invoke their father, Keith Tkachuk, who lost the gold medal to Canada at the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics. Brady has said that the only advice he received from his father about Canada is that "there's just a lot of regret if you don't win. " In an interview with, Brady added, "There's hatred there. I mean, they've been the top dog... and for us, we want to be in that position, be the best. " Those comments link personal family history to the rivalry and to the brothers' public posture.
What makes this notable is how cause and effect run through the brothers' story: aggressive tactics and high-profile incidents cause intensified dislike and frequent penalties, and that heightened attention in turn fuels the brothers' reputation and the scrutiny they face in subsequent matchups. The timing matters because they arrive in Milan having just won consecutive Stanley Cups at the NHL level and after a February characterized by confrontation in Montreal, meaning opponents and fans will measure both their play and its consequences closely.
As Team USA prepares for Olympic competition in Milan, the Tkachuk Brothers will be more than roster names; their history of instigating scrums, their leadership roles with the Florida Panthers and Ottawa Senators, and their explicit framing of the Canada rivalry make them central to both the on-ice gameplan and the off-ice narrative. Unclear in the provided context is how officials or tournament organizers intend to address past ejections and brawls at the Olympic venue, but the pattern of past penalties and public backlash is well established.
