Tkachuk once needed a security team in Edmonton while playing for the Flames
As fans of both the Edmonton Oilers and Calgary Flames can attest, the Battle of Alberta can get pretty heated.
The testiness between the two teams has dialed down in recent years due to the Flames’ struggles, though it wasn’t all that long ago that both teams were heavy hitters in the Western Conference.
At that time, the Flames had Matthew Tkachuk, who Oilers fans absolutely despised. Their disdain for the now 28-year-old grew following a series of hits on Zack Kassian, after which he told reporters, “If he doesn’t want to get hit, then stay off the tracks.”
Those hits and that comment really rubbed Oilers fans the wrong way. In fact, things got so serious that Tkachuk had to walk around with a security team the next time he visited Edmonton.
“The hotel in Edmonton is just across this little archway to the rink. Everybody just walks there before games,” Tkachuk explained on the Wingmen podcast. “They brought security, our own security, and maybe a cop from Calgary up to stay with us.
“Everybody walks to the rink for the games. They’re like, ‘Matthew, you have to take the bus.’ I’m like, ‘Alright, doesn’t really make much sense. Bus for one.’ It was just me and the security and cop.”
Despite the somewhat scary incident, Tkachuk was all smiles while explaining the situation. He even had a bit of a laugh when talking about the reception he got on the ice at Rogers Place.
“Warmups was f*cking insane,” Tkachuk said. “I had more signs and more hate stuff and just chirps. There was like turtle costumes in the crowd.”
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Tkachuk went on to be traded by the Flames following the 2022-23 season, though not to the benefit of the Oilers. He instead joined the Florida Panthers, winning back-to-back Stanley Cup Finals over the Oilers in 2024 and 2025.
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