Matthew Tkachuk was living the dream this summer. After an incredible season with the Florida Panthers, he finally reached the ultimate goal of winning the Stanley Cup in June. Tkachuk was seen having the time of his life during the celebrations, but in late August, everything changed.
In a fresh interview with Josh Yohe for The Athletic, Tkachuk opens up about his struggles since his dear friend Johnny Gaudreau was killed by a drunk driver while riding a bike in New Jersey on the eve of his sister’s wedding. Johnny’s brother, Matthews, was also killed in the accident.
As Josh Yohe described it in The Athletic, ’Tkachuk’s dream summer turned into a nightmare.’
”You put so much work into a season, that’s where all of your energy goes,” Tkachuk said. ”Then you make the playoffs. You make the Final. And then, when it was over, we got to celebrate this summer. It was the greatest summer of my life, and some of the most incredible memories were made. But then, right at the end of this amazing summer, the unthinkable happened.”
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Matthew Tkachuk played with Johnny Gaudreau for six years in Calgary before they both left the team in the summer of 2022. Johnny Hockey signed with the Columbus Blue Jackets as a free agent, and Tkachuk was traded to Florida.
”Ever since I left Calgary and came to Florida, all I ever do is tell stories about Johnny,” Tkachuk said.
”At one point, I was probably telling the guys down here a Johnny story once a week. I was always talking about him, about something funny he had done, something he had done in practice, whatever. He was the kind of guy that you could never get out of your mind, and I hated being away from him.”
Tkachuk and Gaudreau had one more thing in common: a dream to represent Team USA in the Olympics. They were both looking forward to the NHL 4 Nations Face-Off this February.
“In 2022, when they canceled us from being in the Olympics, we were so upset. We were both playing really well together in Calgary and we thought we were going to be so good in the Olympics,” Tkachuk said.
”We talked about it all the time. That was a tough one. He had played for Team USA in so many big events, and I know it meant a lot to him. Obviously, we would have been together this time. It’s tough to think about right now. But I know he would have been excited for those tournaments and he will be on my mind during those times even more than he usually is.”
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The Columbus Blue Jackets plan to honor Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau in their home opener on October 15. It just so happens to be against the Florida Panthers.
”I have a feeling that it’s going to be pretty tough to play that night. It’s not just me that’s feeling it, obviously. The whole league is feeling it right now. Anyone who knew him is feeling it even more,” Tkachuk said.
Tkachuk says he’s going to everything to keep his good friend’s memory alive.
”It’s been a really, really, really tough few weeks,” he said. “I still can’t even believe it. It’s just so sad. All of it.”
