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Panthers’ Matthew Tkachuk puts on MVP performance on home ice at NHL All-Star Game

adam lichtenstein, south florida sun-sentinel
·4 min read

Panthers left wing Matthew Tkachuk knew he had a duty to participate heavily as one of two team representatives at the 2023 NHL All-Star Game.

Winning Most Valuable Player was not at the top of the list, though.

The Panthers star scored four goals and had three assists in front of a sellout home crowd of 19,250, leading the Atlantic Division team to victory at the NHL All-Star Game at FLA Live Arena in Sunrise on Saturday,

“To be honest, I really didn’t care about anything other than just representing my team,” Tkachuk said. “It’s a big honor to be one of the representatives, along with [Panthers center Aleksander Barkov], to be the host city. Without everybody saying it, it kind of revolves around us a little bit with having the home crowd on our side, doing the big skills, starting the game, having the fans basically just cheer for us. It’s a big deal.

“So no pressure with it, but we definitely felt we had to do our part throughout the weekend to show what a great place and what great fans we have. I know we both enjoyed everything that we did, and it was just an awesome weekend.”

The All-Star Game split the league into four teams, representing each of the league’s divisions in three-on-three games. The Pacific and Central divisions squared off in the first semifinal while the Atlantic (featuring Barkov and Tkachuk) and Metro divisions played in the second semifinal. The Central team clinched the first semifinal.

Tkachuk, the son of long-time NHL winger Keith Tkachuk, opened the scoring for the Atlantic team, getting an assist from Barkov. Tkachuk led the Atlantic Division to a 10-6 win over the Metro team in the semifinal with a hat trick and a pair of assists. Tkachuk’s strong performance was the first five-point performance in an All-Star Game since 2019 when Sidney Crosby and Matthew Barzal both accomplished the feat, according to the Associated Press. Barkov had three assists in the first win.

Scoring was at more of a premium in the final, but Tkachuk, who leads the Panthers with 66 points, still notched two points on a goal and an assist. He finished the day with four goals and three assists. Barkov added his fourth assist of the day late in the final as the Atlantic team won 7-5.

In addition to sharing the ice with Barkov, Tkachuk also had the opportunity to play with his younger brother, Brady. The younger Tkachuk, who is a standout winger for the Ottawa Senators, earned his first All-Star appearance this season.

“We always dreamt of playing with each one way or the other,” said Tkachuk, who is in his first season with the Panthers. “We thought that the best chance would be a Team USA thing at one point or whatever. I was in the West forever, and he was in the Atlantic, so we never really thought this was a possibility. Thought we’d play against each other forever, but this weekend was a great first time playing with him.”

The All-Star festivities were a boon to South Florida and to the Panthers. NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said the All-Star Game, skills competition and other activities during the week brought more than 7,000 guests to South Florida with an estimated economic impact of $25-$30 million.

The success of All-Star Week has the NHL looking at bringing more events to South Florida, including possibly an outdoor game. Although Florida’s weather would typically make it difficult to host an outdoor hockey game, the league has played outdoor games in Dallas, Nashville, Los Angeles and Santa Clara, California. The league also has an outdoor game scheduled for Raleigh, North Carolina, next month.

“I think, especially with the rivalry that we’ve built with the Lightning, I think two Florida teams just figuring this out would be wonderful,” Panthers President Matthew Caldwell said. “I know the league’s trying. ... It’s definitely possible.”

Before Saturday’s game, it had been 20 years since the Panthers last hosted an NHL All-Star Game, bringing 19,250 fans to what was then called the Office Depot Center. The Western Conference won that game, but Panthers star Olli Jokinen had a goal and three assists. His teammate with the Panthers, defenseman Sandis Ozolinsh, also made the roster.

Although the local team had a strong showing on the ice that day, the team still floundered. The Panthers had a 10-season playoff drought that did not end until 2011-12. But Caldwell said the team’s improvement on the ice and ability to host marquee events like the NHL draft and the All-Star Game has helped put the Panthers on the map.

“Folks are really starting to take us serious now, especially with the winning,” Caldwell said. “The roster that Bill Zito has put together the last couple years has been phenomenal and has really helped us take the next step, and then bringing the All-Star Game, I think people feel this franchise is first-class and stepping up.”