“I'm Never Leaving Florida": Matthew Tkachuk on Repeating as Stanley Cup Champions, Potential Playoff Matchup with His Brother

The Tkachuk family celebrates with the Stanley Cup (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

Florida Panthers star Matthew Tkachuk wants to win another Stanley Cup this season.

The face of the Panthers and the alternate captain of the franchise is looking to lead Florida to a third straight Stanley Cup Finals appearance. The 27-year-old is off to a sensational start again this season, ranking second on the team in goals, assists and points.

While the Panthers are currently leading the Atlantic Division as NHL teams prepare for the All-Star break — Tkachuk will be a part of Team USA during the 4 Nations Face-Off Tournament — he's not too worried about seeding. Instead, he wants to make sure the Panthers have momentum and are playing the right way entering the playoffs as they aim for a second straight Stanley Cup Finals trophy.

“I want to be careful answering this, because everybody loves home ice,” says Tkachuk in a one-on-one interview with RG on behalf of his partnership with Perry Ellis. “If we can finish as the first seed, that would be great. We're honestly the type of team, it doesn't matter if we finish first or eighth, we just want to get in.

“We've learned a lot in the playoffs over the last few years, we're comfortable in a series," Tkachuk continues to say. “I don't think it really matters to us what seed we finish. We just want to play well going into it.”

It's hard to argue Tkachuk's point. During his first season with the Panthers in 2022-23, Florida advanced to the Stanley Cup Finals despite barely making it into the playoffs as an eighth seed.

Tkachuk acknowledges that having home ice makes a difference in the Stanley Cup Finals, as it did last year when the Panthers defeated the Edmonton Oilers at Amerant Bank Arena in Game 7 on their home ice.

However, he explains why home ice advantage and seeding is not as big of a deal in the NHL as it is in other sports such as the NFL and NBA.

“I don't think home ice really matters until you get to the Finals,” says Tkachuk. “With those long flights, it would surely be nice to have one less travel flight. I think in hockey, it's just so tight. In other sports, you see a team's home record against their road record, and it's just absolutely insane. But the parity of the NHL — home and road — is so hard. It's so similar, it's so hard to win in both.”

“There are so many good teams, there's no easy night,” Tkachuk continues to elaborate.

“I think if you're playing the right way, and you're in a rhythm, it doesn't matter where you're playing. You're going to feel good, and you're most likely going to win the game.”

The Panthers remain atop their division and near the top of the conference standings, but they're not perfect. In fact, one could argue they're not as good as they were last season. Florida ranks third in the NHL in goals scored — an improvement from their ranking of 11th season — but they rank 16th in goals allowed. For context, they were the best team in the NHL in goals against last season.

Some of that has to do with the offseason departures of two of their top defensemen in Brandon Montour and Oliver Ekman-Larsson. Tkachuk stresses they need to be better in defending the net as a team, but explains how the Panthers have managed to remain one of the elite teams despite being middle-of-the-pack on defense.

“There have been some tough games this year,” Tkachuk continues to say. “For the most part, we've done a good job being able to bounce back or change the momentum in a game. I like our team right now, hopefully we can keep playing well going into the playoffs.”

While Tkachuk's ultimate objective is to hoist the Stanley Cup again, he'll be teaming up with brother, Brady Tkachuk, for Team USA in the 4 Nations Face-Off Tournament. It'll be the first time the two brothers have teamed up at a high level.

“I'm never leaving Florida, so to play together, he would have to come here,” says Tkachuk. “We knew the easiest way [to play together] was for Team USA.”

Brady's Ottawa Senators are actually a playoff contender this season, ranking third in the Atlantic Division. The prospect of Matthew matching up against Brady in the playoffs is a realistic possibility. However, Matthew downplays the possibility, saying he just wants “both” of them to make it to the playoffs.

“ I just want us both to make the playoffs, that's all that matters right now,” says Tkachuk.

“Eventually one day we're probably going to run into each other in the playoffs. I think I'm speaking on behalf of my whole family here, we don't want to talk about it until it happens. When that day comes, it'll be pretty crazy.”