Keith Tkachuk Hands Auston Matthews Praise After Being Boo'd At The Four Nations
The crowd in Montreal didn't hand Auston Matthews a warm reception, and now Keith Tkachuk has praised Team USA's captain for the reaction he garnered.
The Four Nations Face Off brought many positive features of hockey to light for casual and hardcore viewers alike, but perhaps the most exciting part for the NHL was the atmosphere that was provided at the Bell Centre and the TD Garden.
While the tournament was in Montreal, booing was at a premium for the United States, and especially for Auston Matthews, who was not surprised by the reaction he got as a Maple Leaf and a United States player.
"Yeah, definitely. I mean, like I said, we played here, you know, quite a bit. And I'm pretty accustomed to the boos, especially in this building. So, like I said, I take it as a good thing or maybe as a sign of respect. But,like I said, this is a great building to play in on the road. And it's always a great atmosphere in here. So, I think it's something that you look forward to."
He clearly wasn't put off by it however, and after the tournament, the father of his teammates Matthew and Brady Tkachuk and NHL legend in his own right Keith addressed the situation.
"If I'm Auston, I'm honored. That means he's good-it means he matters, right? If they don't say anything to you, maybe you should pick up the pace. Canadians are loyal people, and they want to beat the US."
It wasn't just Matthews getting booed however, as fellow Maple Leaf William Nylander was booed heavily by those Canadiens fans in attendance, further proving Keith's point as both matter heavily in NHL circles.
Over the course of the Four Nations, it appears that almost everyone in the tournament was booed at one point or another, and with the NHL set to take the best-on-best to the Olympic Games in 2026, we should get used to seeing incredible crowds and atmospheres like this.
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