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'Couldn't let Edmonton win': Matthew Tkachuk shouts out Flames fans after Stanley Cup victory

Florida Panthers left wing Matthew Tkachuk skates after the team won the NHL hockey Stanley Cup after defeating the Edmonton Oilers in Game 7 of the Final, Monday, June 24, 2024, in Sunrise, Fla. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier) Florida Panthers left wing Matthew Tkachuk skates after the team won the NHL hockey Stanley Cup after defeating the Edmonton Oilers in Game 7 of the Final, Monday, June 24, 2024, in Sunrise, Fla. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier)
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Although the Calgary Flames parted ways with Matthew Tkachuk nearly two years ago, the C of Red was still in the Florida Panthers forward’s thoughts as he hoisted the Stanley Cup on Monday.

The Panthers defeated the Edmonton Oilers 2-1 in Game 7 to take home the National Hockey League’s greatest prize.

“Shout out to my fans in Calgary … you know I couldn’t let Edmonton win,” Tkachuk told Sportsnet in a post-game interview.

Tkachuk and the Panthers took a three-game lead in the series, but the Oilers stormed back to nearly complete the historic “reverse sweep,” falling just one game short.

The Flames traded Tkachuk to the Panthers in a blockbuster deal on July 22, 2022, sending the American forward to Florida for forward Jonathan Huberdeau, defenceman MacKenzie Weegar, prospect Cole Schwindt and a conditional first-round pick in 2025.

The 26 year old went to back-to-back Stanley Cup Finals with the Panthers and has recorded 197 points through two seasons in Sunrise, Fla.

Tkachuk was tied for first on the team with 22 points throughout the 2024 playoffs.

There were also a few more Calgary connections on the Stanley Cup-winning roster, with former Flames Sam Bennett and Ryan Lomberg also hoisting the cup.

Bennett was dealt to Florida for a second-round pick and a prospect in 2021, while Lomberg signed with the Panthers as a free agent in 2020.

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