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Matthew Tkachuk Cracked Flames-Oilers Joke After Panthers' Stanley Cup Final Win

Panthers star Matthew Tkachuk had a perfect Oilers-Flames quip after winning the Stanley Cup Final.
Tim Capurso|
Jun 24, 2024; Sunrise, Florida, USA; Florida Panthers forward Matthew Tkachuk (19) celebrates winning the Stanley Cup after defeating Edmonton Oilers in game seven of the 2024 Stanley Cup Final at Amerant Bank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 24, 2024; Sunrise, Florida, USA; Florida Panthers forward Matthew Tkachuk (19) celebrates winning the Stanley Cup after defeating Edmonton Oilers in game seven of the 2024 Stanley Cup Final at Amerant Bank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports | Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports

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Florida PanthersCalgary Flames

Florida Panthers forward Matthew Tkachuk was in a good mood on Monday night, and for good reason, as his team won its first Stanley Cup Final in the franchise's 30-year history after defeating the Edmonton Oilers 2-1 in a thriling Game 7 at Amerant Bank Arena.

Tkachuk, during a postgame interview with Sportsnet, gave a shout-out to fans of the Calgary Flames, with whom he spent the first six seasons of his career, cracking an Oilers joke in the process.

During a lengthy answer to a question about what he was thinking when he hoisted the Stanley Cup, Tkachuk said, "Shout out to my fans in Calgary. You know I couldn't let Edmonton win."

Tkachuk, selected by Calgary in the first round of the 2016 NHL Entry draft, helped lead the Flames, who had made the postseason just once in seven years prior to his selection, to four playoff appearances in six years.

Tkachuk, known for his big-hitting and trash-talking, was a central character in the Battle of Alberta, the famed, decades-spanning rivalry between the Flames and Oilers that once again came to a boiling point during his tenure in Calgary.

Tkachuk, who was dealt to the Panthers in a blockbuster trade back in July of 2022, scored arguably the biggest victory of his career against Edmonton by securing the championship win with Florida.

While the victory didn't come in a Flames uniform, Tkachuk still couldn't resist fanning the embers of the fiery, Calgary-Edmonton rivalry.

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Tim Capurso
TIM CAPURSO

Tim Capurso is a staff writer on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. Prior to joining SI in November 2023, he wrote for RotoBaller and ClutchPoints, where he was the lead editor for MLB, college football and NFL coverage. A lifelong Yankees and Giants fan, Capurso grew up just outside New York City and now lives near Philadelphia. When he's not writing, he enjoys reading, exercising and spending time with his family, including his three-legged cat Willow, who, unfortunately, is an Eagles fan.

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