Team USA’s final Group C matchup against Germany at the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics 2026 delivered more than just a convincing 5-1 win on the scoreboard.
While the Americans took care of business on the ice, much of the buzz centered around the heated battle between Matthew Tkachuk and German captain Leon Draisaitl. Especially after Tkachuk fired a sharp jab at the Oilers standout during play.
Tkachuk’s On-Ice Taunt Steals the Spotlight
Throughout the night, Tkachuk and Draisaitl were going at each other, with Tkachuk’s line doing a strong job of keeping the German captain off the scoreboard. As the players headed to their benches, Tkachuk was caught on a hot mic taking a jab at Draisaitl, with his brother, Brady, listening in.
“Always the bridesmaid, eh Leon? Always the bridesmaid, never the bride,” Matthew said.
Draisaitl appeared to smile at the comment. Later on, he skated over toward Tkachuk, looking to square up, but Tkachuk didn’t take the bait. As the referee stepped in to keep them apart, Draisaitl simply laughed it off in his face. The exchange didn’t take long to blow up on social media.
There’s history between them. Draisaitl’s Edmonton Oilers have fallen to Tkachuk’s Florida Panthers in the past two Stanley Cup Finals, which has only fueled the competitive edge between the two.
After the game, Tkachuk acknowledged that part of facing elite players is making their lives difficult. “Some guys you got to play harder than most, physically and maybe after the whistle sometimes, too,” Tkachuk said.
Tkachuk said he felt his line, especially center Jack Eichel, did an unbelievable job limiting Draisaitl and his line all night. “So, sometimes you gotta play both parts of the game. But, I thought, mainly, Eichs did a great job during the whistle of playing him hard… That was something talked about going in, that we got to be hard on him, and [Tim Stützle], some of these guys over here, some high-end talent. Thought we did a great job,” he added.
Beyond the theatrics, the win was significant. Team USA finished the preliminary round with a perfect 3-0 record, capturing first place in Group C and earning a direct bye to the quarterfinals. They move into the knockout stage as the No. 2 overall seed, just behind Canada, and will face the winner of Sweden vs. Latvia.
Germany, meanwhile, will head to the qualification round, where they’ll meet France for a chance to advance.
