"Looking forward to being the villain": Brady Tkachuk makes his thoughts extremely clear on upcoming USA vs Canada clash in 4 Nations Face-Off

Team US and Ottawa Senators forward Brady Tkachuk expressed excitement about the upcoming game against Canada at the 4 Nations Face-Off tournament.

The Canadians commenced their campaign with a thrilling 4-3 overtime victory over Sweden in Montreal, while the US faces Finland in their opening game. However, the most anticipated contest of the best-on-best tournament will see Canada and the USA clash at the Centre Bell Arena on Saturday.

During an interview with Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman, Brady Tkachuk said that he's looking forward to embracing the role of the villain against Canada, noting that the competitive atmosphere will be heightened compared to regular-season play.

"Looking forward to being the villain. I mean, I think it'll be fun you get that experience when you play here in the regular season and not having an event like this, I think it's just gonna be magnified that much more," Tkachuk said.

Brady Tkachuk's teammate and US captain Auston Matthews also shared his thoughts about the upcoming matchup against Canada. He expressed enthusiasm about the excitement the game will bring for players and fans, anticipating a thrilling experience for everyone involved.

"Yeah. I mean, you know, the building's gonna be rocking. It's been so long since we've had, you know, USA-Canada, playing against each other, and it's gonna be a great atmosphere. It's gonna be a lot of fun, lot of excitement for the players, and I'm sure the fans too," Auston Matthews said.

Meanwhile, Brady Tkachuk opened the goal tally for Team USA at the 4 Nations Face-Off by tying the game at 1-1 at 10:21 in the first period.

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Brady Tkachuk on who has the edge in power play between him and Matthew Tkachuk

When asked about who excels in power play situations and in front of the net, Brady Tkachuk acknowledged his brother Matthew Tkachuk's skills.

Brady emphasized that Matthew is exceptional with his stick handling and serves as a great role model for him in terms of playing style. Tkachuk humbly noted that he has a long way to go to reach his brother's level.

"It's Matthew. That's Matthew. I've got ... No, I got a long way to go. He's just so good at the stick. And I don't want to put Austin that position, because it's Matthew so great role model I have in the way we play, but especially how he is around enough," he said.

The puck for the USA-Canada matchup on Saturday drops at 8 p.m. ET.