Tkachuk’s hunger for Olympic gold grows after visiting Hall of Fame

TORONTO -- Matthew Tkachuk was flooded with a roller coaster of emotions as he stood in front of two adjoining display cases at the Hockey Hall of Fame.

On the left: One honoring the second of back-to-back Stanley Cup victories by his Florida Panthers, highlighted by a photo of Matthew hoisting the trophy over his head and punctuated with a championship ring donated to the Hall by the team on Tuesday.

“I was just saying, I hadn’t seen pictures of us lifting the Cup in six months,” the Panthers forward said during the ring donation ceremony. “It just brings back great memories."

“Look at the smiles there,” he added, nodding at the photo. “It was one of the greatest days of my life.”

Unlike what was depicted in the display case on the right.

There, next to the Panthers' championship showcase, was a tribute to Canada’s 4 Nations Face-Off championship in February with, among other things, a huge pic of Connor McDavid celebrating his tournament-winning overtime goal against Tkachuk and Team USA.

Not one of Matthew’s favorite memories, to be sure.

“Yeah, saw that,” he said with a smirk. “And obviously, it’s not the best thing in the world to see. It brings up some tough memories.”

There was one thing the 4 Nations display did accomplish, however.

Seeing a reminder of the United States' heartbreaking 3-2 loss to Canada in Boston only increased Tkachuk's hunger for the upcoming Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026, revenge and all.

Matthew and his younger brother, Brady Tkachuk, who is the captain of the Ottawa Senators, were both part of the first six players named to Team USA back in June. In Matthew’s mind, a historical gold-medal performance by the Americans in Italy next month would definitely be a landmark moment that would be showcased in the Hall of Fame.

“I guess that’s the goal, to have another shrine for USA Hockey here,” he said. “I mean, that would be pretty cool.”

For the management of both the Panthers and Team USA, that’s exactly what they were feeling when Tkachuk was a full participant in Florida’s morning skate at Scotiabank Arena on Tuesday prior to their game against the Toronto Maple Leafs.

The forward has missed the entirety of the season after having surgery to repair a torn adductor muscle and sports hernia on Aug. 22. He’d been skating with the Panthers at practice in a noncontact jersey for the past week but shed it Tuesday.

Although Tkachuk was not ready to suit up against the Maple Leafs, there’s a chance he’ll do just that at some point on Florida’s current six-game road trip, which kicked off in Toronto.

“We're not in full, heavy contact with him, but we don't have that practice (time) anymore anyway,” Panthers coach Paul Maurice said. “So, he's out there banging around a little bit more, and that's the next box that has to get checked. He has to be able to get leaned on, push himself, recover for a day or so, see how he goes back on the ice again.”

Maurice said Tkachuk’s progress will be monitored throughout the process.

“Once you get to full contact, we have to go a few more days here where you push real hard,” he said. “It's going to have to feel good.

"So if he doesn't feel good, or there's some stiffness, or, I would say, abnormal stiffness, then that's two more days. Just keep adding days. If he feels really good, there's a chance (at that time) he could (play).”

The men’s Olympic hockey tournament begins on Feb. 11, so he still has five weeks to round into form.

In the meantime, Tkachuk still enjoys discussing the Panthers' two championships and the 2025 ring, which he considers to be the best one ever presented to its players by an NHL team.

The glitzy bauble is handcrafted in 14-karat white and yellow gold with more than 450 diamonds and genuine rubies and features two Stanley Cups on the front. On the inside is a list of the teams they beat in the playoffs, the Tampa Bay Lighting, Maple Leafs, Carolina Hurricanes and Edmonton Oilers, accompanied by the words: “WE APOLOGIZE TO NO ONE.”

“It’s amazing,” he said. “And it’s so cool to be displayed in such an awesome place like this, a museum to the sport.

“I love the history of the game, and this place is so special.”