Ex-Calgary Flames star Matthew Tkachuk tells a heartwarming story about his dad on Jimmy Fallon
Matthew Tkachuk is doing everything in his power to help grow the game of hockey throughout the United States.
The former Calgary Flame turned Florida Panther star has become one of the faces of the NHL, not only due to his immense talent but also his big personality. That made him the perfect guest to appear on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon last night, and he didn’t disappoint.
Tkachuk appeared on the famous talk show mainly to discuss the 4 Nations Face-Off, where he and his U.S. teammates wound up falling short to Canada in overtime of the championship game.
The 27-year-old would have certainly enjoyed being on the show more had Team USA won it all, but he was still his usual upbeat self, even cracking some jokes about the three fights that took place versus Canada in their first matchup of the tournament.
“I’ve never had the opportunity [to play best on best] so I think myself and all the guys that were in this were so jacked up for it. I think that’s why you saw the fights all at the beginning of that game against Canada. All the guys wanted to get their anger out of the way,” Tkachuk said with a grin. “I was one of them, my brother was one of them.
“I think [my dad] was pretty proud.”
Despite saying the 4 Nations Face-Off championship was the biggest game he’s ever played in, Tkachuk has been a part of several high-stakes games as of late. Last season, he was able to help lead the Florida Panthers to a Game 7 victory over the Edmonton Oilers in the Stanley Cup Final, where he shared a great moment with his dad, Keith, afterward.
“He played 19 years, was one of the best Americans of all time, and he unfortunately never got the chance to win the Cup. I don’t think he would change a thing to see his boys lift that trophy,” Tkachuk said. “One of the coolest moments I had was after that on the ice, having my whole family out there with me. I had the Cup in my hands after all the celebrating, and I got to hand it to him. It was one of the most special moments of my life.”
Though he was traded from the Flames following the 2021-22 season, Tkachuk still has plenty of supporters in Calgary, especially after he was able to defeat the provincial-rival Oilers last season.
His style of play has made him an enemy in many other markets around the NHL, but whether you hate or love him, it’s impossible to deny that he’s great for the game of hockey.