Tatum Tkachuk split

As the saying goes, game recognize game.

During a press conference on Tuesday, NBA star Jayson Tatum gave a shoutout to Florida Panthers forward Matthew Tkachuk, saying he’s rooting for his old prep school classmate in the Stanley Cup Final.

Tkachuk and Tatum both attended Chaminade College Preparatory School, an independent Catholic school for boys in grades 6-12, in St. Louis. Tkachuk left there after the ninth grade for the United States National Development Program. Tatum graduated in 2016 and his No. 22 was retired by the school two years later.

Tatum and the Boston Celtics are two wins away from securing the NBA championship, much like Tkachuk and the Panthers are two wins away from earning the Stanley Cup.

“I’m a big Matthew fan,” Tatum said at the press conference. “I actually watched him win [Monday]. … I’m extremely happy for him and his family and hopefully they win it all.”

The Celtics play Game 3 of the NBA Final on Wednesday, while the Panthers will play Game 3 of the Cup Final on Thursday (8 p.m. ET; ABC, ESPN+, CBC, TVAS, SN).

NHL.com Staff Writer Tracey Myers contributed to this report

Related Content