TKACHUK: ‘This is a dream spot for me’

It’s been a few days, but I don’t think it’s fully sunk in just yet.

I’m a Florida Panther.

As I was driving into the arena this morning for the press conference, I really started to think about how this is where I’ll be playing my games now. This is my home rink. It’s crazy. Even after getting a tour, meeting some of the guys and seeing my new jersey, it still feels surreal.

I mean, I woke up this morning and the first thing I saw out the window was the water. That’s just so different from what I’m used to. I think once we get closer to training camp and I start to get settled in it’ll feel a bit more real, but even then I’ll probably have to pinch myself a little bit.

It’s an unbelievable feeling starting a new journey like this, and I couldn’t be happier with my decision. This is a dream spot for me and a dream team to be a part of. I’m just ready to roll.

Honestly, all of this happened so fast.

When I started to put together the list of teams that I was open to playing for, I pictured myself in a few different places. I tried to really put myself in a frame of mind where I wasn’t open to just going to one specific organization because I think that would’ve made it harder on everybody.

But even though I could envision myself with a handful of teams, the Panthers were at the top of the list in the back of my mind. A lot of that came down to the fact that when I was going through the process, I tried to picture myself from the age of 24 until hopefully 15 or so years from now.

I wanted to be on a team that is not only competitive now, but was also set up to be for the foreseeable future. Like any player, I want a chance to win the Stanley Cup. Looking closely at the Panthers – their core, coaches, managers, location, etc. – it just felt like the perfect spot.

At the end of the day, with the list that I picked, it was more about being excited about anywhere I’d end up. But when it was Florida that called and said they were pretty close and they wanted to start negotiating on a new contract, that was the most exciting call that I’ve probably ever got.

The funny thing about that call is that I actually almost missed it.

The afternoon before everything went down, I was up in New Jersey with my family celebrating my brother Brady’s engagement. My uncle Craig, who is also my agent, told me that I should probably keep my phone on me … so I obviously went to the beach and left it back at our place.

I guess my phone was buzzing a lot and a bunch of missed calls were popping up, so someone finally went out, found me, grabbed me and said, “Call your uncle!” When I finally got back to my phone and talked to him he said, “We might have something done with Florida.” In that moment I was the happiest person ever. He told me not to tell anybody, but I went and told my parents.

I didn’t want anyone else to find out. I didn’t want to jinx it. It was a crazy, crazy three or four hours from that moment until the big news came later that night at dinner. That was when I got the call that the deal was in place. I got up, walked outside and my uncle sent me over the contract. I signed it on my phone, but then he called back and told me that I needed a witness.

That’s when I called my mom to come outside with me. She probably already had a couple of glasses of wine at that point – like I said, we were out celebrating Brady’s engagement – and she was really giddy because she was one of the few people that knew what was happening.

Pretty soon, she signed as the witness and I sent the contract back. Just like that, it was done. I think she likes that she got that honor over my dad. Both he and my brother have done the whole contract thing before, so it was time for someone new. She got to say, “Look what I did!”

After it was done, I walked back into the restaurant with the biggest smile on my face. Everyone was shocked. They knew that something had happened and were all yelling, “Where!? Where!? Where!?” They couldn’t wait to hear the news, so of course I dragged it out for a few seconds.

But when I told them I was going to Florida, they were all so happy.

Welcome to South Florida, @tkachukycheese_ 😸 pic.twitter.com/lkZIJ7rBOM

– Florida Panthers (@FlaPanthers) July 25, 2022

With my brother getting engaged, it just gave us another reason to celebrate. It was great being able to share the whole moment with my family. It’s something I’ll never forget. Up until then, I’d kept it pretty tight as the trade started to materialize, so it was a fun surprise for everyone there.

I think the reason I played it so close to the vest is that I wanted this to be my decision. That’s something that I really want to hammer home – this was my decision, and I feel great about it.

After I signed my contract, the news spread pretty fast. I wish I could’ve gotten the chance to talk to the other teams on my list before that happened, but they all totally understood when I spoke to them the next day. They appreciated that I took the time, and I appreciate what they did for me as well. One thing about this process is that I got the privilege to talk to a few different teams and see different perspectives. Everybody was so awesome. There’s no hard feelings.

Over the last few days, so many people have reached out. I heard from Sam Bennett right away, and I’ve also talked to former teammates. Those talks have been so helpful. It shows that they all care. I haven’t heard a bad thing about the Panthers. It’s just an exciting time for me.

All I want to think about now is the future. Looking at this roster, the majority of guys are from my age to 28 or 29. That was an attractive thing for me. There’s a win-now mode that you can sense here, but also a window to keep winning. I’m only 24. I had some unbelievable years in Calgary, and it was the best place for me at the time, but now I’m locked in here for eight years.

Actually, in my mind it’s more like eight-plus years. However many it ends up being, I want to be in Florida for the rest of my career. There’s a bunch of elite players here that I can play with and be surrounded by. There’s a lot of young guys, but also a lot of experienced guys as well.

I want to be here. This wasn’t just me getting traded and having no say. I chose this. I want this to work. I’m just excited for the possibility of winning here. I don’t feel pressure. I’m here to win. Personal stuff, you can throw it out the door. I don’t care. I’m here to be the last team standing.

I know that I’m going to be growing up and spending many years in Florida. Lots of things are going to happen in this city with me over those years, and I’m excited to begin that journey.

Can’t wait to see you all at the rink,

Matthew Tkachuk

*As told to FloridaPanthers.com’s Jameson Olive