After Gold Medal Whirlwind, Matthew Tkachuk Back to Work with Panthers

FORT LAUDERDALE — Anyone who went to the Elbo Room on Wednesday got to see Matthew Tkachuk and his gold medal.

Thursday, he had it on full display at the IcePlex.

Except in the locker room.

“I just pulled it out of my pocket,’’ Tkachuk said while wearing the gold medal around his neck while talking to the media on Thursday morning.

Tkachuk and the Florida Panthers will be back in action tonight against the Toronto Maple Leafs with the team honoring their Olympians — with a special pregame ceremony to honor Tkachuk, GM Bill Zito, and equipment manager Teddy Richards coming off the Team USA win on Sunday against Canada.

Toronto’s Auston Matthews will also be recognized as captain of Team USA.

“Last night was the first good sleep, first time getting a lot of hours,’’ said Tkachuk, who landed with Team USA on Monday and Miami then partied into Tuesday before flying to Washington. “I might have made up for the past two days. Once that puck went in, your life — our team’s lives — just kind of changed in that moment.’’

Tkachuk said there is absolutely no ill-will between he and the Canadian teammates (Sam Bennett, Sam Reinhart, Brad Marchand) whom Team USA beat in the gold medal game.

But there was no reason for him to rub anyone’s nose in it.

That has pretty much already been done.

“I congratulated him on winning gold,’’ Bennett said, “and that’s pretty much it.’’

Not that there hasn’t been some good-natured chirping.

Anton Lundell, whose Finland team lost to Canada in the semifinal but won bronze, said there was some chatter Thursday when everyone got back together for the morning skate.

“No bad blood. Absolutely not,” Tkachuk said. “We’re all competitors. We’re all, first and foremost, players for the Florida Panthers. Especially with what we have built over the past few years, the relationships we have in that room are as good as you’re going to find.’’

Said Marchand: “Obviously all of Canada would have liked a different outcome, but it is an incredible honor to medal at that tournament and just be a part of it. It was a dream come true, everything I could have thought or hoped it could be.’’

All seven of Florida’s players who medaled at the Olympics were back on the ice for Thursday’s morning skate and all will be in the lineup tonight.

Florida has 25 games left and are eight points out of the playoffs.

That is their focus right now.

“We were joking about some of the experiences we had over there, the experience of playing each other,” Bennett said. “But once you get back with your teammates here, it feels like we’re back in the grind of the season again.”

FHN: Panthers Should Follow Heat Lead, Honor Gold Medal Win with a Banner

Said Tkachuk: “We have to flip the switch. Both our teams are out of the playoff race right now and need points. There are only 25 games left and like a month left in the regular season. … Try to move on and get these two points.’’

And going against Matthews tonight?

“We were joking at E11even that we might have to slash each other in the face and get kicked out,’’ Tkachuk said.

Tkachuk was asked about the perceived slight toward the US women’s team which also won gold.

During Sunday’s locker room celebration in Milan, President Donald Trump invited the men’s team to Washington for a White House visit and trip to the State of the Union address.

“I must tell you, we’re going to have to bring the women’s team, you do know that,” Trump said. “I do believe I probably would be impeached.”

Although the players chuckled along with the president, Tkachuk said the backlash has been blown out of proportion.

“Nobody saw what type of relationship we had with the women’s team and other athletes in the village,” Tkachuk said. “Our two teams were so close, we watched other events together, we went and supported them. We love the women’s team and they love us. We’re so proud that we had a clean sweep of gold medals. So much respect for them and the other athletes.

“I think the narrative that we weren’t rooting for each other, whatever the narrative is, is untrue. We were so close with that team. The fact both of us were able to do that is what should be talked about and what is really important. We had the best time celebrating with them after and throughout the tournament.”

ON DECK: GAME No. 58

TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS at FLORIDA PANTHERS

• When: Thursday, 7 p.m.
• Where: Amerant Bank Arena, Sunrise
• Local TV: Scripps Sports — WSFL 39 (Miami/FTL); WPTV 5/WHDT 9 (WPB); LAFF 36.3 (SWFla)
• Streaming: Panthers+; ESPN+
• Radio: WQAM; WBZT 1230-AM (Palm Beach); WCTH 100.3-FM (Florida Keys); SiriusXM
• Panthers Radio Streaming: SiriusXM 932, NHL App
• Season Series (Leafs Lead 2-0) — At Florida: Leafs 4, Panthers 1 (Dec. 2); Feb . 26. At Toronto: Leafs 4, Panthers 1 (Jan. 6); April 11
• Last Regular Season: Panthers Won 3-1
• All-time Regular Season Series: Toronto leads 53-40-7, 7 ties
• Last Postseason: Florida d. Toronto 4-3
• All-time Postseason (Panthers Lead 2-0): Panthers d. Toronto 4-1 (2023 ECS); Panthers d. Toronto 4-3 (2025 ECS)
• Up Next: Friday vs. Buffalo Sabres, 7