The Florida Panthers have firmly established themselves as perhaps the most dominant team in the league. And a big part of this change from being a mid-table team to winning back-to-back Stanley Cups has been the competitive mentality of the players.
And no one on the current roster embodies this more than their star forward, Matthew Tkachuk. But before his time in Florida, he was a key piece of the Calgary Flames. And he recently admitted just how much he loved his moment with Johnny Gaudreau back then.
What Is Matthew Tkachuk’s Favorite Moment With Johnny Gaudreau?
Before Tkachuk became the Panthers’ playoff machine, he was an important part of the Flames’ attack alongside Johnny Gaudreau and Sean Monahan. However, the group failed to translate regular-season success into a deep playoff run.
So, in 2022, when Tkachuk turned UFA, he decided not to re-sign with the Flames and instead went to the Panthers. But despite his departure from the Flames, Tkachuk’s favorite moment remains the one he shared in Calgary with former teammate Gaudreau three years ago.
In a recent tweet, “Missin Curfew” highlighted how special the moment was for Tkachuk. It mentioned, “@TKACHUKycheese_ talks about how special it was when Johnny Gaudreau scored at home at the Dome in Game 7 overtime to eliminate the Dallas Stars.”
As Tkachuk looked at the Flames celebrating their win, he mentioned, “Yeah, very special, and as his teammate, we couldn’t have been happier for him and for us that he was able to do that.” For Tkachuk, it was a special game, as it was his last winning playoff series with the Flames.
While Tkachuk’s second-period goal from a Gaudreau assist tied the score 2-2, they still needed a breakthrough in overtime. The winning goal came when Gaudreau buried an Elias Lindholm rebound, sending the puck into the net for the victory.
Tkachuk mentioned just how much that moment meant to him. He continued, “That was my favorite moment in my career, seeing him score that and how happy I was, how happy he was, and how happy everybody in the city was.” He mentioned how loud it was.
“Everybody was on their feet for the whole overtime, but it was, it was just such a cool atmosphere. And um. I don’t know how you know if it gets much better than game seven overtime,” Tkachuk said.
For Tkachuk, the entire atmosphere, the celebrations, and the winning goal by Gaudreau were his favorite moments until now. Gaudreau’s tragic passing last August makes this moment both tragic and heartfelt for Tkachuk.
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For Tkachuk, it was one of the last winning moments he had with his former teammate. And despite winning two Stanley Cups in recent years with the Panthers, it remains special for the champion.