Panthers’ Matthew Tkachuk wins MVP of South Florida’s first NHL All-Star Game in 20 years
The cameras lingered on Matthew Tkachuk for a long time after he finished off his hat trick in the semifinals of the 2023 NHL All-Star Game. The All-Star right wing sat on the bench, beside his younger brother, while cheers rose from the FLA Live Arena crowd, looking for an acknowledgment from the Florida Panthers’ new star. Eventually, his eyes rose to look at the big screen and a toothy grin stretched across his face.
He was one of two hometown heroes in the NHL All-Star Game and he delivered Sunrise the show it wanted. His three goals and two assists in the semis — for only the second five-point game in the nine-year history of the current 3-on-3 All-Star format — sent the Atlantic Division into the championship, where Tkachuk added another goal to help the Atlantic beat the Central Division, 7-5, and win the All-Star Game MVP.
“I really didn’t care about anything other than just representing my team and it’s a big honor,” said Tkachuk, who joined the Panthers in a blockbuster offseason trade, then signed an extension to keep himself in Florida for the next eight years. “Without everybody saying it, it kind of revolves around us a little bit, with having the home crowd on our side.”
Tkachuk, playing on a line with brother Brady Tkachuk and teammate Aleksander Barkov, finished with four goals and three assists across the two 20-minute games to become the 10th player to win All-Star Game MVP in his home arena, the second Panther to win the award. Barkov, his captain, had four assists after he was a late addition to the game as an injury replacement for superstar center Auston Matthews.
It was the first time the Tkachuk brothers ever got to play together as teammates and Tkachuk, 25, called Barkov, “the perfect linemate.”
“For him to be able to deal with Brady and I, he should’ve won MVP,” Tkachuk joked.
“It was actually fun. I wasn’t expecting that,” Barkov then quipped, drawing laughs and a double take from Tkachuk.
On the very first shift of their first game, Tkachuk and Barkov, 27, linked up to give the Atlantic a quick lead in South Florida.
The Atlantic started with the Tkachuk-Barkov-Tkachuck line, and the crowd of 19,250 roared as both Panthers were introduced with the usual flourish from public address announcer Andrew Imber. The sellout crowd didn’t need to wait much longer to celebrate some more: In opening minute, Barkov threaded a pass from deep in his own defensive zone out across center ice to Tkachuk, who lifted a shot past All-Star goaltender Igor Shesterkin. The Atlantic went up 1-0 with 9:24 left in the first of two 10-minute periods.
The Atlantic went on to beat the Metropolitan Division, 10-6, in one semifinal. The Central beat the Pacific Division, 6-4, in the other. This is the ninth year of the four-team, 3-on-3 format, and the wins sent the Atlantic and Central on to the final to play one last 20-minute game in Florida.
In his second game, Tkachuk barely waited any longer to score. With 9:23 left in the first period, the winger scored on a wraparound to give the Atlantic another 1-0 lead. The Atlantic pushed its lead to 4-0 early in the second period and cruised to the finish in a drama-free championship.
Tkachuk spent much of the final period trying to set up Barkov for a goal, but Barkov, in typical fashion, kept trying to be the facilitator.
“I was trying to get Barky the goal there in the second game,” Tkachuk said, “and he kept looking to go back to me.
Added Barkov: “All my passes or whatever I had was just like, Give the puck to them. I don’t think I touched the puck in the offensive zone once.”
It worked out. Tkachuk took home some hardware, his younger brother scored a goal and had two assists, and Barkov earned himself an honorary membership in the Tkachuk family.
“I don’t know if he’d want to accept that,” Tkachuk said. “It’s a crazy household.”
This story was originally published February 4, 2023 at 6:27 PM.
