Rangers provide physical spark in Team USA's rout
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MONTREAL — Vincent Trocheck landed a blistering hit on his first shift.

J.T. Miller was the first to get feisty in front of the net.

Adam Fox found himself in a confrontation with Finland’s Sebastian Aho, who was also involved in the knee-on-knee collision that caused the Rangers defenseman to miss 10 games last season.

Although the three Rangers players on Team USA did not register any points in the 6-1 victory over Finland in the NHL’s 4 Nations Face-off, they actively engaged in the physical aspects of the game.

The crowd expressed their animosity by booing during the U.S. national anthem, prompting Team USA to respond with a display of toughness, which included a goal-scoring spree led by the Tkachuk brothers, Matthew and Brady, who tallied four goals and five points collectively.


Finland defenseman Nikolas Matinpalo, top left, and United States forward J.T. Miller (10) rough it up in front of the net during the first period of 4 Nations Face-Off hockey action in Montreal, Thursday, Feb. 13, 2025.
Rangers’ J.T. Miller (10) mixes it up with Finland defenseman Nikolas Matinpalo (top left) in front of the net during the first period of Team USA’s 6-1 win over Finland in the 4 Nations Face-Off on Feb. 13, 2025, the opener for both teams. AP

“I think we like it,” Miller said of hearing the noise during “The Star-Spangled Banner.” “Not politically but just in the sense of we know where we’re at, in Canada. I think that fires us up more than anything.”

In addition to combining for five hits, Miller (2:36) and Trocheck (2:24) logged the most and third-most shorthanded ice time, respectively, for Team USA.

The Americans ultimately fended off both of Finland’s power plays.

Fox led all defensemen with 2:59 of ice time with the man advantage, as Team USA went 2-for-4 on the power play in the win.


Nikolas Matinpalo #33 of Team Finland checks Vincent Trocheck #16 of Team USA during the first period in the NHL 4 Nations Face-Off at Bell Centre on February 13, 2025 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
Nikolas Matinpalo checks the Rangers’ Vincent Trocheck (16) during Team USA’s win over Finland. Getty Images

He was also charged with roughing Aho, who earned the same penalty, when the two battled in front of the net at the 4:03 mark of the third period.


Long Island natives Fox and Charlie McAvoy enjoyed dinner together Wednesday night before they took the ice the following night.

The childhood friends first were teammates when they were just 6 years old with the Long Island Gulls.

Now, they’re back in the same jersey for the first time since they skated for the U.S. National U18 team during the 2014-15 season.

“It’s going to be funny with my parents there, his parents there, we’re all in the same thing and they’re cheering for us together and it’ll feel like, ‘Is this the Gulls or is it the U.S. team?’ ” McAvoy told The Post before the game with a chuckle. “It’s wild, and I know we’re both very, very fortunate for this opportunity.

“It’s been great. It’s been great catching up with him. We’ve spent a lot of time together. It’s just awesome. I don’t know, It’s hard to explain. It’s just so unique, it’s so cool to have this opportunity to do it with him. I can’t wait to see his folks when we get back to Boston.”


The United States announced that its goal song will be “Free Bird” by Lynyrd Skynyrd, which was also Team USA’s celebration song on its way to a gold medal at the 2025 World Junior Championships.

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