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"Never seen him cry": Panthers' Matthew Tkachuk reminisces about his family's emotions after Stanley Cup win
Matthew Tkachuk of the Florida Panthers recently talked about his family's emotions after seeing him win the Stanley Cup. In a clip from the "Jim Rome Show" interview that was shared on X/Twitter, Matthew shared that the victory in June moved his father, former NHL forward Keith Tkachuk, to tears—a sight that felt foreign for the younger Tkachuk.
"I've never seen him cry in my life," Matthew said. "I swear to God I've never seen him cry, he was bawling his eyes out like a big baby in the stands as those few minutes went by after we won. A picture's worth a thousand words and I saw everything I needed to see right there. The emotion from my family... It was something that I'll never forget."
Keith, an NHL veteran with 1,201 games to his name, retired when Matthew was 12 years old. The former Winnipeg Jets captain never won the Stanley Cup, which made his post-game moment with Matthew more special.
"It was a dream," Matthew added. "Me handing the Cup to my dad when all the family came on the ice was one of the highlights of my entire life."
The Panthers' road to victory wasn't easy. After leading the series 3-0, they faced a comeback from the Edmonton Oilers that pushed the Finals to Game 7. Matthew credited his dad and brother, Brady, for their support.
"When I left my house for Game 7, my dad and my brother both walked me to the car, their arms on my back, just (telling me) little one-liners, 'Enjoy it,' everything," Matthew said.
"I don't even remember what they were really saying, if I'm being honest, but I remember getting in my car, backing out of my driveway, and it just hit me right there as I'm leaving my house: I'm not only winning this tonight for (my teammates) ... but I want to do it for my dad and my brother as well. That was like a full-circle moment for me."
Matthew's contributions were crucial in the Panthers' road to the cup, and he scored six goals and 22 points in 24 playoff games.
Matthew Tkachuk on Panthers' Stanley Cup Win with business like approach
On July 12, 2024, Matthew discussed the Panthers' Stanley Cup win in a one-on-one interview with Forbes. According to Matthew, the team learned from their 2023 Finals loss to the Golden Knights and had a new approach to the game.
“This year we were just business-like, team effort,” Matthew said. “Never got too high, never got too low, just enjoyed the moment, but really played a calm, cool, collected game.”
Matthew moved from the Calgary Flames to the Panthers in 2022 and helped the latter win their first playoff series since 1996. Looking ahead, he aims to win more championships with them.
"Once you win it, you want to win it again... So that's the goal."
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