Matthew Tkachuk returns to Alberta as Florida Panther | globalnews.ca

for six seasons, Matthew Tkachuk Wore the logo of the flames on his chest. But, on the eve of his return calgaryHe kept the rhetoric calm.

“Obviously, I’ve thought about it,” Tkachuk said after his Monday morning skate against the Florida Panthers in Edmonton. oilers,

“But, I probably won’t be able to give you a good answer on that until we get there tomorrow.”

NHL Schedule-makers did their best to minimize the drama of a Tkachuk return. The Panthers play two Alberta road games over two nights. First, in Edmonton, where Tkachuk was Public Enemy No. 1 for six seasons. Then the Panthers are at the Saddledome on Tuesday, a venue where Tkachuk was a hero.

Read more: Tkachuk returns to Calgary among must-see games of this NHL season

There’s no recess to help build the hype, and little opportunity for the media to get cameras and recorders ahead of American power.

When asked about his expectations in Calgary, Tkachuk said, “It’s just like another road trip.” “It (against Edmonton) doesn’t feel particularly special, but I’m sure tomorrow will be.

“We’ve got a game tonight, and our team is very focused on it, and not allowing emotions to overtake it. But tomorrow will definitely be special for me.

Tkachuk, who had a 104-point season for the Flames in 2021-22 and scored 382 total points for Calgary in six campaigns, was dealt to Florida in the off-season along with forward Jonathan Huberdeau and defenseman Mackenzie Viger was.

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It was the kind of blockbuster trade you rarely see in the NHL, with so many teams against the cap. But it was all part of Flames general manager Brad Treliving’s plan to rebuild his team on the fly, after star forward Johnny Goudreau decided to sign with the Columbus Blue Jackets as a free agent.

Read more: Calgary Flames trade Matthew Tkachuk to Florida Panthers

Fast forward to this season, and Tkachuk has 27 points in 18 games for the Panthers, while Huberdeau has just 10 points in 18 games for the Flames.

While Tkachuk wasn’t going to say anything that could be used as bulletin-board material, his coach Paul Maurice had no problem with what Tkachuk brings to the Panthers.

“I don’t know if surprise is the right word,” said Maurice, who coached the Jets before taking the reins this season with the Panthers. “But in Winnipeg, we’d have seen a fair amount of him, and I didn’t fully understand his sleight of hand.

“He has an incredible ability to pry with his whole body at different levels, and with so many tight-area plays, what’s unusual for him is that he can line up behind the net.

“To see it in practice, to see how many punches he throws and nobody understands how he did it.”

Maurice said Tkachuk is a model team player, painting a different picture than the agitator who has earned three suspensions and was the central figure in a famous brawl between the Flames and the Oilers in February 2021.

“The way he treats people off the ice is incredible,” Maurice said. “The coaches, the bus drivers, all the support staff, it’s really impressive to see.

“He’s a very well respected young man who’s had a whole bunch of success.”

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Maurice said the team is looking forward to how Alberta fans – who hated and loved Tkachuk – would react.

“I think our players can enjoy it a little bit,” he said.

“They’ll have a little fun with it, and it won’t be the first time Matthew has been booed in Alberta, so he’ll be okay with it.”

Read more: James Hamblin to make NHL debut with Edmonton Oilers

When asked if the boon would resonate when Oilers fans saw Tkachuk in a Panthers jersey, he replied: “I have no idea.”

He said, ‘It is not my decision. “That’s what everyone here thinks, you might have to ask them.”

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