US & Canada Dominate Olympic Hockey: Quarterfinal Matchups Set

MILAN (AP) — Matthew Tkachuk’s verbal jab at Leon Draisaitl during Sunday night’s USA-Germany Olympic hockey game has quickly become a talking point, overshadowing the Americans’ dominant 5-1 victory and their subsequent claim to the second seed in the knockout round. The exchange, captured by a hot microphone, saw Tkachuk repeatedly taunt Draisaitl with the phrase, “Always the bridesmaid, eh Leon? Always the bridesmaid, never the bride.”

The barb, referencing the Florida Panthers’ consecutive Stanley Cup Final victories over Draisaitl’s Edmonton Oilers in 2024 and 2025, landed during the second period as the two teams were heading to the bench. Tkachuk’s brother, Brady, stood nearby as he delivered the line, according to multiple reports. The moment quickly circulated on social media, with a clip posted by 10,000 Takes garnering significant attention.

“It’s always a challenge,” Tkachuk said after the game, as reported by Bleacher Report, when asked about playing against Draisaitl. “Our teams have some history. And (it’s) always fun playing him.” He also acknowledged that such exchanges aren’t typical between the two players, but Sunday’s game presented a unique opportunity. “I wouldn’t say so,” Tkachuk said. “Some guys, you’ve got to play harder than most physically, and maybe after the whistle sometimes, too.”

The U.S. Victory, fueled by two goals and an assist from captain Auston Matthews and 23 saves from goaltender Connor Hellebuyck, secured their position as the second seed in the tournament. The Americans finished group play unbeaten. Canada, after a resounding 10-2 win over France, claimed the top seed, meaning the two North American rivals won’t meet until a potential gold medal game.

Despite Canada’s dominant performance, the U.S. Team maintained they weren’t focused on chasing the top seed. “We never talked once about the top seed at all,” Tkachuk insisted. “None of that seeding stuff. All that handles itself.”

The U.S. Will now face the winner of Tuesday’s qualification round game between Sweden and Latvia in the quarterfinals. Sweden, despite winning two of its three preliminary round games, was relegated to seventh seed due to a goal differential tiebreaker. Defenseman Zach Werenski acknowledged the challenge Sweden presents, describing them as a “super-skilled team” with “a lot of talent.”

Elsewhere, Switzerland secured an easier path to the quarterfinals by defeating Czechia 4-3 in overtime, a victory particularly poignant given the absence of injured winger Kevin Fiala. Captain Roman Josi scored the opening goal for Switzerland, and Dean Kukan netted the overtime winner. Fiala, recovering from a lower leg injury, sent a video message to his teammates from the hospital, expressing his continued support.

In another contest, Denmark earned its first victory of the tournament with a 4-2 win over Latvia, largely thanks to a stellar 33-save performance by longtime NHL goaltender Frederik Andersen. The win positioned Denmark ahead of Latvia in the seeding, sending Latvia to face Sweden in the qualification round.

Canada’s victory over France was marked by both offensive firepower and a display of team loyalty. Sidney Crosby and Connor McDavid each contributed a goal and two assists, whereas Tom Wilson engaged in a fight after a hit on Nathan MacKinnon, earning a game misconduct but garnering praise from teammates for standing up for a colleague. Macklin Celebrini, Canada’s youngest player, also impressed with two goals, including a penalty shot.