NHL playoffs start with a bang as Team USA star Brady Tkachuk drops gloves at opening faceoff

The NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs got started with a large bang connected Saturday.

Team USA people leader Brady Tkachuk dropped the gloves with Jordan Staal of the Carolina Hurricanes successful a conflict of on-ice captains arsenic soon arsenic the puck dropped to statesman the quest for the Stanley Cup.

When taking the crystal to statesman the game, Tkachuk appeared to inquire Staal if helium had immoderate involvement successful getting into it.

Apparently, it was a yes.

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Jordan Staal of the Carolina Hurricanes and Brady Tkachuk of the Ottawa Senators combat during the archetypal play of Game 1 successful the archetypal circular of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs astatine Lenovo Center successful Raleigh, N.C., April 18, 2026. (Josh Lavallee/NHLI/Getty Images)

Tkachuk threw a mates of close hands, but Staal delivered a immense stroke that connected and knocked Tkachuk to the ice.

This is not the archetypal clip Tkachuk dropped the gloves astatine the opening faceoff this season. He did it doubly earlier against New York Islanders skipper Anders Lee, including conscionable past week.

Left helping Brady Tkachuk of the Ottawa Senators and halfway Jordan Staal of the Carolina Hurricanes combat aft the opening faceoff during Game 1 of the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs' archetypal circular astatine Lenovo Center successful Raleigh, N.C., April 18, 2026. (Katherine Gawlik/Icon Sportswire)

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Tkachuk stole the hearts of American hockey fans past twelvemonth when, playing for Team USA astatine the 4 Nations, helium got into a combat with Team Canada's Sam Bennett conscionable 3 seconds aft his brother, Matthew, got into a combat arsenic the puck dropped. 

Bennett and Matthew Tkachuk are teammates connected the back-to-back reigning champion Florida Panthers, who failed to suffice for the playoffs this year.

The Tkachuks won Olympic golden successful February, getting long-awaited revenge connected Canada, which has dominated the rivalry successful men's crystal hockey. 

It was the USA's archetypal golden successful men's crystal hockey since 1980, and the archetypal clip the U.S. bushed Canada successful the knockout signifier since winning golden implicit Canada successful 1960.

Brady Tkachuk of the United States celebrates winning the golden medal during the men's golden medal crippled against Canada astatine the Milan Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena during the Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games successful Milan, Italy, Feb. 22, 2026. (Vitalii Kliuiev/Getty Images)

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Tkachuk's Ottawa Senators earned a wild-card bid into the playoffs, portion Carolina's 113 points this play were the second-most successful the NHL and the astir successful the Eastern Conference.

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