Matthew Tkachuk, Florida Panthers: Stanley Cup Final Media Day

Matthew Tkachuk, Florida Panthers: Stanley Cup Final Media Day

okay Matthew you guys are back in the sley cup just talk about the emotions going into the weekend kind of like a Christmas Eve feeling right now so it’s been a long week uh trying to uh you know keep your mind off it as much as possible and just enjoy I don’t know I guess the warm weather be outside as much as you can but it’s it’s hard not to think about game one and now that it’s uh finally almost here it’s it’s more exciting now than earlier in the week got games and over 2500 miles between there and here what are you doing on the I’m just going to play poker that’s it uh just I guess I know them more than probably most guys by play in Calgary but um you know we just had the one playoff series against them that they won and played them a bunch in the regular season but there’s a lot of different guys over there um I was just saying earlier I don’t even know if I’ve faced um Skinner yet since he’s been on the team um maybe I have but um it’s it’s different it’s definitely different over there um you know they’re playing great they’re a great team finally got to watch some of their games um against Dallas playing every other night um you know in our series and their Series so it was it was uh good to watch their games they they played really well and ultimately deserve to to win the West so should make for a great final SP your time here since you were acquired I mean I know obviously the ulate still w just yeah it’s been it’s been amazing this is the best place to live play it’s it’s been unreal um the guys are so so awesome it’s a really cool group of guys uh it’s it’s the trainers everybody like everybody made me feel so welcome from day one um which I think led to success early and and now 2 years later we’re going back to the Second Cup Final and hoping to have a different ending this time so it’s uh very very it’s a very good time to be a Florida panther um I’m enjoying it I love being down here I love playing here it’s been you know the best thing for me so I’ve been loving it yeah I’ve got uh yeah I got the Amazon crew with me um over the last little bit so um no I I still don’t really know it’s ultimately going to going to look like but I think it’s cool for uh you know we love watching all those shows whether it’s the uh the golf um you know the tennis or the Formula 1 or whatever it is it just kind of gives a a a good sneak peek into how athletes are um on and off the ice I guess so I think it’s very cool and um it’s a great idea by them in the NHL and uh I’m sure everybody’s going to like it I’m assuming hwood what’s the most Hollywood thing about me oh my gosh absolutely nothing probably so this is new for me this yeah he he’s got a like a 1970s Hollywood mustash not not So Much Anymore mat you have support of the commans does me to you and also two question to this what is the first thought that comes to mind when you think of Ed and your family of course you’ve seen history yeah well first of all the support around here has been amazing uh just it keeps growing like almost daily from when I first came and when I you know going back to when I first started playing in the NHL for Calgary coming down here um 2016 it’s it’s night and day from what it is right now and um you see the success that the team’s having and that’s only helping everybody in the community and so many people are in the hockey people are coming up to us left and right um you know in Fort Lauderdale or you know I’ve been in I’ve been in West Palm and Miami the past week and you know both places all the way you know both sides of it are just so excited um people are talking about hockey everywhere in South Florida so it’s really cool and um I don’t remember your second part first part the first that comes to mind when you think of Edmonton and all the history and especially you know you come from a hockey family as well obviously there’s a lot of things that could pop up to yeah no I’d just say the first thing that that comes to mind is you know when you play a team in Canada there’s there’s a different uh type of I guess passion and and Spotlight and you know I mean everybody in not only Edmonton but Canada is going to be glued to their TVs this series watching so um you know it’s it’s definitely uh you know you see I’m playing in Calgary you see the passion that Canadian fans have and um I don’t think it’s much different from the fans down here right now to be honest everybody’s into it it’s going to be a great series and sorry I don’t know it’s been uh I know last year was booed every time I touched the puck but this year there was nothing so I have no idea yeah I mean he’s coached I don’t even know the amount of games and the amount of hours he’s put in and um he’s such an amazing coach he’s uh he’s you know the best one I’ve had he’s he’s gotten um me to become a better player than when I first started here and um just kind of everything so I I’ve got you know nothing but but good things to say about him he got a ton of respect for him um and I think all the players you know first and foremost you really want to win it you know for yourself and your teammate next to you but I think you know a guy like Paul this would you know it means a lot to to him you know from from all of us seeing what he’s done for us the past two years and um you know we we definitely would want to get it for him like the team plays well when it plays greedy is there a way to bring that element without getting the refs too engaged at the same time because obviously I respect that gr I don’t even know if we play that gritty to be honest we just play like hard whistle to whistle um you know you guys I’m sure have watched us the last couple series there’s really nothing going on um or all year like really there’s nothing after the whistle there’s there’s no nonsense or really chirping or or anything that’s you know not just playing hard whistle to whistle so I think that’s probably a big difference from last year we were you know more physical in that sense um and this year you know we’re we’re super disciplined I’m not just talking like not taking penalties but you know disciplin in your routes and your shift length and um setting up the next guy so I’d say our team discipline as a whole has been our our biggest achievement uh so far and and probably our best asset right now gameship the aning people a part of your game you know for a time is it just not as necessary now Team game is a little better you know that same style maybe that’s maybe that’s fair I’d say um I used to be that used to be a a part of my game that now it’s pretty non-existent anymore so um I’ve kind of learned what works and what works is playing as hard as as I can for 30 to 45 seconds well sometimes I take the long shift so 30 to a minute um and just leaving it all out there and coming back to the bench and getting rested for the next one there there’s no need to waste your time doing extra stuff your relation that yeah it’s it’s actually really cool when you think about it and um I I think everyone from St Louis um you know whether they were gonna watch it or not with having both of us in like I’d say there’s a lot of people especially you know kids we grew up with and families and people that know you know know us they’re pulling for both teams so um it’s super cool to have that support back home um for not only myself but for the Celtics as well um now I know I’m I’m watching the games watched the game last night so I think it would be unreal for for shamad for all St Louis if we can if we can both uh win it um yeah I’m I’m definitely cheering for him yep definitely how much would how much money would I be willing to rent out um the answer is a lot but the good thing is I don’t think we have to I think they might just give it to us saw game to someone I told you back with their confidence believe yeah we just had a lot of confidence this year going into playoffs we were building our game from we really just got off to a great start of the season so we’re kind of building the whole way um and going into playoffs like we we’ve had a tough you know much much like Edmonton you know you play some some great teams on the on the way to get here you know us having to slay the dragon with Tampa first round play Boston who in my opinion is physically one of the hardest teams if not the hardest to play against in the whole league um and then playing the ragers who are President you know the president Trophy winners so um we we’ve had a tough tough road to get here but you know just that belief has grown Series in series out and you know the further we go the more belief I have

Florida Panthers forward Matthew Tkachuk speaks during Media Day before his team plays host to the 2024 Stanley Cup Final in Sunrise on Friday, June 7.

The Panthers will play in the Stanley Cup Final for a second straight year; Edmonton is vying for its sixth title and first since 1990. This is the Oilers’ first trip to the Final since 2006.

Game 1 is Saturday in Sunrise at 8 p.m. (ABC).

Florida Panthers Remember The Sting: https://floridahockeynow.com/florida-panthers-remember-the-sting-of-losing-stanley-cup-final/

Stanley Cup or Bust! Florida Panthers Moving On: https://floridahockeynow.com/stanley-cup-final-florida-panthers-2-new-york-rangers-1-game-6/

Meet the Edmonton Oilers: https://floridahockeynow.com/what-to-know-edmonton-oilers-stanley-cup-final-florida-panthers/

Panthers Have Unfinished Business to Take Care Of: https://floridahockeynow.com/not-finished-florida-panthers-hungry-to-complete-redemption-tour/

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Florida took out the New York Rangers in 6; Edmonton did the same to Dallas.

On Saturday, the Panthers beat the Rangers 2-1.

Florida took a 2-0 lead on goals from Sam Bennett and Vladimir Tarasenko.

Artemi Panarin beat old friend Sergei Bobrovsky (23 saves) to make it a 1-goal lead but the Panthers hung on.

——

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Video Courtesy Florida Panthers