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Brady Tkachuk has found himself in a pretty awkward position.
Days after breaking Canadian hearts by helping the United States win a gold medal over their northern neighbors, Tkachuk is now back with his Senators, who play in the Canadian capital of Ottawa, to make a playoff push.
A TikTok posted by the White House likely didn’t help matters, as it featured footage of Tkachuk’s conference call at a 4 Nations game last year that was AI-doctored to make it look like he was speaking disparagingly about Canada and its citizens.
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Brady Tkachuk of Team United 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 come out and teach those maple syrup-eating f—-s a lesson,” Tkachuk is quoted as saying. Tkachuk and his brother, Matthew, were part of three games in nine seconds against Canada last year.
Tkachuk celebrated his gold medal in Washington, DC, but was not happy with the video.
“Well, it’s clearly fake because it’s not my voice, it’s not my lips moving. I don’t have control over any of those accounts. I know those words would never come out of my mouth. So I can’t do anything about it,” Tkachuk told reporters Thursday ahead of his return to the NHL, via ESPN.
When asked if he liked the video, he echoed his sentiments.
USA’s Brady Tkachuk (top) battles Canada’s Sam Bennett (9) during first period 4 Nations Face-Off hockey action in Montreal, Saturday, Feb. 15, 2025. (Christinne Muschi/The Canadian Press via AP)
“That’s not my voice. That’s not what I said,” 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 had that thought.”
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Some have 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 are me. But if you watch the video, it’s not my voice or anything I ever say,” Tkachuk said. “I don’t know how it took a storm by itself when I’m giving everything I’ve got here.
“It’s crazy when things go on social media how fast it goes. I would never say something like that.”
Brady Tkachuk (7) of Team United States and Matthew Tkachuk (19) of Team United celebrate after their match against Team Canada during the Milan Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games at Milan Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena on February 22, 2026. (Geoff Burke/Imagn Images)
Tkachuk plays as a member of the home team in Canada on Thursday at 19:00 against the Detroit Red Wings.
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