Matthew Tkachuk Drawing Heated Criticism For Decision To Play In Four Nations Finale

Team USA and the Four Nations Face Off drew incredible attention throughout the tournament, and with Matthew and Brady Tkachuk leading the way, hockey brought in plenty of new viewers over the past two weeks.

Heading into the finale however, Matthew was dealing with a major injury, and instead of sitting out, he tried to fight through it, but ultimately played just six minutes as his team fell 3-2 in overtime to Team Canada.

Now, that decision has drawn plenty of criticism online, especially given that it held Kyle Connor out of the lineup, as many believe he would have been a much more impactful player for this team.

On social media, many people throughout the tournament in the United States came to love Tkachuk, but it became clear that his decision to play wasn't a good one, as it may have ultimately cost Team USA the gold medal.

Going into the game, there was a chance that Tkachuk could have played 20 minutes through his injury and starred alongside his brother and Auston Matthews, but it wasn't meant to be, and now a 50/50 call is one of the major talking points after the event.

Ultimately, this is one that could have paid off big for the United States, and it was probably a risk worth taking, but in hindsight, Connor, who has been one of the best players in the NHL this season would have been the right call, and with the Olympics right around the corner, they'll have their chance for revenge on Canada.