Bizarre Scene Between Matthew Tkachuk and John Tortorella on Team USA Bench Goes Viral
It's rare to see this kind of scene unfold so clearly, live on television, but there was a special moment involving Matthew Tkachuk yesterday.
You may have already noticed that Tkachuk did not finish last night's game between Canada and the United States. He didn't play the last 15 minutes or so, and the moment when his game ended was spotted by the experts at Sportsnet.
At one point early in the third period, Tkachuk got the "GO" to return to the ice alongside his brother (Brady) and his center, Jack Eichel. However, he turned to John Tortorella and told him that he was done and couldn't go.
It's rare to see a player self-diagnose like that, stay on the bench with his teammates, and turn to his coaches to say that his game was over, without heading to the infirmary.
A rare scene involving Matthew Tkachuk and John Tortorella live from the Team USA bench
Watch the footage:
We then see Tortorella clearly relaying the message to head coach Mike Sullivan, and Matthew did not play a single second for the rest of the game.
It's really bizarre to see how it happened, but at the same time, Matthew Tkachuk has played enough hockey and is an experienced enough athlete to know his body well and recognize when to stop.
This will be a case to watch in the coming days.
It doesn't seem to be a serious injury, which makes it even stranger that he pulled himself out of the game like that. However, his team still won the match.
Maybe he just wanted to avoid making it worse.
| POLL | ||
FEVRIER 16 | 1987 ANSWERS Bizarre Scene Between Matthew Tkachuk and John Tortorella on Team USA Bench Goes Viral Which one would you pick first for your team? | ||
![Feb 12, 2025; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; [Imagn Images direct customers only] Team Canada defenseman Drew Doughty (89) looks on against Team Sweden in the third period during a 4 Nations Face-Off ice hockey game at Bell Centre. Mandatory Credit: David Kirouac-Imagn Images](https://i.marqueur.com/habsetlnh/medium/530319.webp "Feb 12, 2025; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; [Imagn Images direct customers only] Team Canada defenseman Drew Doughty (89) looks on against Team Sweden in the third period during a 4 Nations Face-Off ice hockey game at Bell Centre. Mandatory Credit: David Kirouac-Imagn Images")
![Feb 13, 2025; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; [Imagn Images direct customers only] Team USA forward Matthew Tkachuk (19) celebrates his goal against Team Finland in the third period during a 4 Nations Face-Off ice hockey game at Bell Centre. Mandatory Credit: David Kirouac-Imagn Images](https://i.marqueur.com/habsetlnh/medium/530300.webp "Feb 13, 2025; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; [Imagn Images direct customers only] Team USA forward Matthew Tkachuk (19) celebrates his goal against Team Finland in the third period during a 4 Nations Face-Off ice hockey game at Bell Centre. Mandatory Credit: David Kirouac-Imagn Images")
![Feb 15, 2025; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; [Imagn Images direct customers only] Team United States forward Brady Tkachuk (7) plays the puck against Team Canada in the third period during a 4 Nations Face-Off ice hockey game at the Bell Centre. Mandatory Credit: Eric Bolte-Imagn Images](https://i.marqueur.com/habsetlnh/medium/530149.webp "Feb 15, 2025; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; [Imagn Images direct customers only] Team United States forward Brady Tkachuk (7) plays the puck against Team Canada in the third period during a 4 Nations Face-Off ice hockey game at the Bell Centre. Mandatory Credit: Eric Bolte-Imagn Images")
