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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tUnited States’ Brady Tkachuk (7) celebrates after the United States defeated Canada in a men’s ice hockey gold medal game between Canada and the United States at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Sunday, Feb. 22, 2026. (AP Photo\/Petr David Josek)<\/p>\n
The altered clip, shared by the White House\u2019s TikTok account, inserted fabricated audio of Tkachuk referring to Canadians as \u201cmaple syrup eating f\u2014s,\u201d with the expletive bleeped in the video. The video carries a note saying it \u201ccontains AI-generated media.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s clearly fake because it\u2019s not my voice and not my lips moving,\u201d Tkachuk said. \u201cI\u2019m not in control of any of those accounts. \u2026 I know that those words would never come out of my mouth.\u201d<\/p>\n
Asked if he liked the video, Tkachuk said he did not.<\/p>\n
\u201cI would never say that. That\u2019s not who I am.\u201d<\/p>\n
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.<\/p>\n
He also denied being the voice heard shouting \u201cclose the northern border\u201d during Team USA\u2019s post-game congratulatory phone call with U.S. President Donald Trump on Sunday.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve been seeing stuff that people think it\u2019s me, but if you watch the video, that\u2019s not my voice and something that I never say,\u201d Tkachuk said. \u201cI don\u2019t really know how that kind of took a storm on its own when I play here and give everything I have here.<\/p>\n
\u201cOf course, I would never say anything like that.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Senators\u2019 captain, who has played his entire NHL career in Ottawa, was asked about navigating being a proud American while wearing the \u2018C\u2019 in Canada\u2019s capital at a moment of heightened tension between the countries.<\/p>\n
\u201cFirst and foremost, I\u2019ve given absolutely everything I have as an Ottawa Senator \u2014 blood, sweat and tears,\u201d Tkachuk said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen you represent the U.S., being an American, it\u2019s an honour. There are only three teams that have won the gold medal for the U.S., so to be part of that is special.\u201d<\/p>\n
Tkachuk called the post-gold stretch a whirlwind that included celebrations and a trip to Washington. Some members of the team attended Trump\u2019s State of the Union speech in Washington on Tuesday night and were cheered by those in attendance.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt just was special,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cBeing an American citizen, you never really think you\u2019re going to be going to the White House and be in the Oval Office.\u201d<\/p>\n
The post-Olympic glow has been mixed with criticism of the team\u2019s phone call with Trump, during which the president made a joke about inviting the U.S. women\u2019s team to Washington so he would not be impeached. Some players laughed in the moment.<\/p>\n
Tkachuk said the congratulatory call came shortly after the final and described the exchange as overwhelming.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen you\u2019re talking to the president 10 minutes after you just achieve your dream, it\u2019s just the fact that you\u2019re talking to him, you can\u2019t really believe where your life\u2019s at,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n