TAMPA, Fla. — Walk a couple of hundred yards from Amalie Arena, and you’ll find several glamorous boats docked behind the Water Street Marriott.
Until recently, one of these boats belonged to pro wrestling legend Ric Flair, who lived, on and off, at the Marriott for years.
Flair has since left Tampa, only to be replaced by a new famous heel in town.
Enter Matthew Tkachuk.
In Tampa, he’s the enemy. He’s the villain with a tendency to commit several infractions on one shift but shoot the referee an incredulous look if he takes a glove to the face a few moments later. As you can imagine, this infuriates the locals. Tkachuk, the Florida Panthers’ power forward, stands at a sturdy 6 feet, 2 inches and weighs over 200 pounds. He’s a noted pugilist and a natural heel if ever there’s been one.
In South Florida, he’s viewed a little differently. He’s the face of hockey. He’s charming. He’s personable. At 27, he’s already scored more clutch goals than many Hall of Famers scored in their careers. He’s also the owner of a Stanley Cup ring. As a Panthers hockey staff member told me earlier this season: “If we asked him to sign autographs in a mall all day to promote hockey in Florida, he’d do it. He really cares and he’s a great human being.” He doesn’t wear the captain’s “C,” but he might as well. He’s the straw that stirs the drink.
For Team USA, Tkachuk probably should have worn the “C” at February’s 4 Nations Face-Off, where he was one of the main attractions. He picked a fight with Canada solely to announce that the Americans had arrived at Montreal’s Bell Centre, high-fiving his brother, Brady, and J.T. Miller in the penalty box with pure joy.
Now, he’s in the spotlight again. As usual.
“I guess you could say that Matthew is many different things to many different people,” Panthers forward Evan Rodrigues said.
Tuesday night, the defending Stanley Cup champion Panthers will take on the Tampa Bay Lightning — finally — in Game 1 of one of the most anticipated Stanley Cup playoff series this spring. It’s a first-round matchup that doesn’t feel like it. The Lightning represented the Eastern Conference in the Stanley Cup Final in 2020, 2021 and 2022. The Panthers did the same in 2023 and 2024.
In 2021 and 2022, the Lightning had to go through Florida. Last spring, the Panthers finally toppled their big brother convincingly.
Twelve months later, they meet again, and Tkachuk is the No. 1 story entering the series. Of course he is.
Will he play or won’t he? That’s the question, and no one is answering.
Tkachuk’s groin injury at the 4 Nations Face-Off threatened to end his season. The injury knocked Tkachuk out of the tournament, causing him to miss Canada’s overtime victory against the Americans in the championship. He also missed the remainder of the NHL’s regular season.
In recent days, Tkachuk has been skating on his customary line with the Panthers at their practice facility. He’s also been part of the Panthers’ top power play. These are fairly good indications that he’ll suit up in Game 1.
Creating even more optimism, Tkachuk took part in the morning skate on Tuesday at Amalie Arena.
Florida coach Paul Maurice wouldn’t confirm anything after the skate. The mystery will linger until a bit before the game’s advertised 8:30 p.m. ET start.
The Panthers would love to have him in the lineup, of course. He’s their guy.
“I’ve never known anyone like him,” Rodrigues said. “Usually he’s just so personable, always in a good mood, knows how to keep the room light with a funny quip or whatever. But when something needs to be said, he says it, and we all listen. Usually, guys have the ability to be one or the other. Not both. He’s one of the few guys I’ve ever known who can actually be both.”
This is the postseason, which means misdirections and gamesmanship are in full force.
Will he or won’t he?
Here’s hoping he plays.
Hockey is in a pretty good place, but it could be better. The sport still ranks behind the NFL, NBA and MLB on the American landscape. But this series can make a dent, which seems silly to say on the surface.
Hockey in Florida? Who cares?
You’d be surprised.
The sport is gaining unprecedented steam in this neck of the woods because of the Lightning and Panthers’ successes. Indeed, hockey’s most reliably fanatical TV Markets in the United States don’t have teams in the playoffs this spring. Detroit, Pittsburgh, Buffalo, New York, Boston, Chicago, Philadelphia? All very important hockey markets for ESPN and TNT, and none is involved in the playoffs.
That’s a problem, you say.
It might not be ideal, but I’m not sure it’s a problem. Hockey fans will watch no matter who is playing. And casual fans, or perhaps people who aren’t hockey fans at all, watched the 4 Nations Face-Off in record numbers. There were many reasons, from politics to the sports calendar. But on the ice, one reason particularly stands out: Matthew Brendan Tkachuk.
Matthew Tkachuk fights Canada’s Brandon Hagel at the 4 Nations Face-Off on Feb. 15 in Montreal. (Minas Panagiotakis / Getty Images)
Fans like (or like to hate) a good villain. We also tend to like our sports with a side of beef. The tension between the Americans and Canadians was authentic. Similar hostility will take center stage in the Battle of Florida.
These aren’t just two teams playing for a chance to advance. They’re fighting for the right to be called the NHL’s team of the decade, the kings of Florida and so much more.
When so much is at stake, hostility is natural, and fans are hungry for it. We’d rather see punches than pats on the back.
Tkachuk is more than willing to throw one. He’ll take one right in the chops, too.
He’ll smile about it all the way to the penalty box — or straight into your heart.
It’s your choice. And it’s a good one to have.
(Photo: Elsa / Getty Images)