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Brady Tkachuk finds himself in a rather delicate position.
Days after breaking Canadian hearts by helping the United States win gold against their northern neighbors, Tkachuk is now back with his Senators, who are playing in Ottawa, the Canadian capital, for a playoff push.
A TikTok posted by the White House probably didn’t help matters, as it featured footage of Tkachuk’s talk at a 4 Nations match last year, which was edited by AI to make it appear like he was speaking disparagingly about Canada and its citizens.
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Brady Tkachuk of Team USA celebrates after winning the gold medal during the men’s gold medal match between Canada and the United States on day 16 of the Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics at the Milan Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena on February 22, 2026 in Milan, Italy. (Catherine Steenkeste/Getty Images)
“They booed our national anthem, so I had to go out and teach those fucking maple syrup eaters a lesson,” Tkachuk is led to say. Tkachuk and his brother Matthew competed in three fights in nine seconds against Canada last year.
Tkachuk celebrated his gold medal in Washington, D.C., but wasn’t happy with the video.
“Well, that’s clearly not true, because it’s not my voice, it’s not my lips that are moving. I don’t control any of those accounts. I know those words will never come out of my mouth. So, there’s nothing I can do about it,” Tkachuk told reporters Thursday ahead of his return to the NHL, via ESPN.
When asked if he enjoyed the video, he echoed his sentiments.
American Brady Tkachuk (top) faces Canadian Sam Bennett (9) during the first period of 4 Nations hockey in Montreal, Saturday, February 15, 2025. (Christinne Muschi/The Canadian Press via AP)
“That’s not my voice. That’s not what I was saying,” he added. “I would never say that. That’s not who I am, so I guess I don’t like that video because it would never come out of my mouth, and I never thought about it.”
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Some also accused Tkachuk of saying, “Close the northern border” while on the phone with President Donald Trump after the team won gold.
“I’ve seen things that people think is me. But if you watch the video, it’s not my voice or something I never say,” Tkachuk said. “I don’t know how it got this way when I’m giving everything I have here.
“It’s crazy when things happen on social media, how quickly it goes. I would never say something like that.”
Brady Tkachuk (7) of Team USA and Matthew Tkachuk (19) of Team USA celebrate after their game against Team Canada during the Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics at the Milan Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena on February 22, 2026. (Geoff Burke/Imagn Images)
Tkachuk will play as a member of the home team in Canada on Thursday at 7 p.m. against the Detroit Red Wings.
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