Matthew Tkachuk has opened doors for the Florida Panthers.
No, like, literally opened doors as the team was leaving the ice. And before he opens one and exits, he points to it.
It's become Tkachuk's “I'll-show-myself-out” celebration for game-winners after he scored three overtime goals to lead the Panthers to a sweep of the Carolina Hurricanes in the Eastern Conference Finals.
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Tkachuk and the Panthers are now knocking on Lord Stanley's door. They'll face the Vegas Golden Knights in the Stanley Cup Finals with a chance to win the first championship in the franchise's 29-year history.
Tkachuk, a 25-year-old winger, has scored 21 goals in 16 postseason games, helping the eighth-seeded Panthers show the league's top teams to the door. Only five teams in the NHL had 111 or more points this season. The Panthers eliminated three of them and are set to face another.
Florida erased a 3-1 series deficit in the first round against a 65-12-5 Boston Bruins team that set a league record for most wins in a season. They upset the Toronto Maple Leafs in five games. They completed a sweep of the Hurricanes, a series that began with a Game 1 win where Tkachuk netted the winner in the final seconds of quadruple overtime...and immediately pointed to the door.
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He needed just 1:51 of overtime in Game 2 before sending Carolina fans to the doors, becoming the 12th player in NHL history with overtime goals in consecutive playoff games and one of four players in NHL history to have three overtime game-winners in a single postseason.
Tkachuk pointed and made his own quick exit off the ice and into the history books.
But his most dramatic game-winner was still to come.
Tkachuk scored a power-play goal with 4.9 seconds remaining in Game 4 to send the Panthers to the final for the first time since their unexpected run in 1996. That goal, should the Panthers go on to raise the Cup, could take its place in South Beach lore alongside moments like Edgar Renteria's walk-off single and Ray Allen's second-chance three.
It also extends what has been a storybook debut season in Florida for Tkachuk after being acquired by the Panthers in a trade with the Calgary Flames in July. He was named MVP of the NHL All-Star Game, he's a finalist for the Hart Trophy, and he has recorded the fourth most points in a first season with a team (playoffs included) in NHL history.
And there still might be more goals to come, another door to point to and a Cup to raise.
Here’s everything you need to know about Tkachuk ahead of the 2023 Stanley Cup Final.
When was Matthew Tkachuk born?
Matthew Tkachuk was born on Dec. 11, 1997. He is 25 years old.
Where is Matthew Tkachuk from?
Tkachuk was born in Scottsdale, Ariz.
Who is Matthew Tkachuk's father?
Tkachuk's father is former NHL player Keith Tkachuk, a two-time All-Star and member of the United States Hockey Hall of Fame. Keith played for 1,201 games over his 18-year career, playing for the Winnipeg Jets, Phoenix Coyotes, St. Louis Blues and Atlanta Thrashers. He recorded 538 goals and 527 assists in his career.
Who is Matthew Tkachuk's brother?
Tkachuk's younger brother, Brady Tkachuk, is the captain of the Ottawa Senators. Brady, the No. 4 overall pick in the 2018 draft, had 35 goals and 48 assists this season.
Where did Matthew Tkachuk play before the NHL?
Tkachuk attended Chaminade College Preparatory School in Creve Coeur, Mo. for one year - where he was classmates with Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum.
Tkachuk left Chaminade after ninth grade to join the U.S. National Development Team. He later spent one season playing for the London Knights of the Ontario Hockey League. Tkachuk was then selected No. 6 overall in the 2016 NHL draft by the Calgary Flames.
When was Matthew Tkachuk traded to the Panthers?
The Calgary Flames traded Tkachuk, forward Cole Schwindt and a draft pick to the Florida Panthers in July for forward Jonathan Huberdeau, Florida's leading scorer during the 2021-2022 season, and defenseman MacKenzie Weegar.
Tkachuk at the time of the trade was coming off a season in which he had a career-high 42 goals and 104 points, was named to his second All-Star team and guided the Panthers to the President’s Trophy as the league’s best team during the regular season.
Tkachuk, who reportedly informed the Flames he did not want to sign a long-term contract with the team, reached an eight-year, $76 million deal with the Panthers after the trade.
How do you pronounce Matthew Tkachuk?
The “T” in Tkachuk is silent and the name is pronounced “kuh-chuck.”
