US Hockey Player Brady Tkachuk Slams White House Video As 'Clearly Fake'

Tkachuk denies making anti-Canada slur in doctored TikTok video shared by White House

Published on Feb. 27, 2026

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American hockey player Brady Tkachuk said Thursday that he did not appreciate a doctored TikTok video shared by the White House that made it look like he was disparaging Canadians after winning Olympic gold, calling it fake and something he would never say. Tkachuk also denied being the voice heard shouting "close the northern border" during Team USA's celebratory phone call with U.S. President Donald Trump.

Why it matters

The video controversy comes amid heightened political tensions between the U.S. and Canada, with the White House facing criticism for its treatment of the U.S. women's hockey team. Tkachuk's response highlights concerns about the spread of misinformation and doctored media, especially when it involves public figures.

The details

The video includes fabricated audio of Tkachuk referring to Canadians as "maple syrup eating (expletive)," with the expletive bleeped out. Tkachuk said the video is clearly fake because it's not his voice or lips moving. He also denied being the voice heard shouting "close the northern border" during the team's call with President Trump, saying that was not his voice either.

  • On Thursday, Tkachuk responded to the doctored video shared by the White House.
  • The video was shared after Tkachuk and the U.S. men's hockey team won the Olympic gold medal, defeating Canada 2-1 in overtime on Sunday.

The players

Brady Tkachuk

A 26-year-old American hockey player and captain of the NHL's Ottawa Senators.

Donald Trump

The former President of the United States who invited the U.S. men's and women's hockey teams to the White House after their Olympic victories.

Matthew Tkachuk

Brady Tkachuk's brother, who plays for the Florida Panthers and praised the close bond between the U.S. men's and women's hockey teams.

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What they’re saying

“It's clearly fake because it's not my voice and not my lips moving. I'm not in control of any of those accounts. … I know that those words would never come out of my mouth.”

— Brady Tkachuk, Hockey Player (today.com)

“I would never say that. That's not who I am.”

— Brady Tkachuk, Hockey Player (today.com)

“Our two teams were so close. We watched other events together. We went and supported them. We loved the women's team. The women's team loved us and we're so proud that we had a clean sweep of gold medals and just so much respect for them and the other athletes.”

— Matthew Tkachuk, Hockey Player (today.com)

What’s next

The White House has not yet responded to Tkachuk's comments about the doctored video.

The takeaway

This incident highlights the growing problem of misinformation and doctored media, especially when it involves public figures. Tkachuk's strong denials and defense of his character show the importance of verifying the authenticity of online content before sharing or believing it.