NHL star Matthew Tkachuk reflects on 4 Nations final: ‘We’re so lucky to be from this great country’.

Florida Panthers star Matthew Tkachuk is a Stanley Cup champion, but it is not even close to being the most memorable moment in his hockey career.

The NHL veteran appeared on “The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon” on Monday to discuss the 4 Nations Face-Off final, which ended in heartbreak for the Americans following a 3-2 overtime loss to Canada.

Tkachuk reflected on the tournament, which he had previously called the “biggest game” he has ever played in.

“The last two weeks representing my country was something I’ll never forget,” he said.

In his second season with the Panthers, Tkachuk helped the Panthers back to the Stanley Cup Finals for the second straight year, when they defeated the Edmonton Oilers in seven games to become the 2024 Stanley Cup champions – a first for Tkachuk.

Even so, Tkachuk was adamant that playing for the U.S. in the 4 Nations Face-Off was still the biggest game of his career.

“It really was such a big tournament and such a huge stage and something I’ll never forget,” he told Fallon.

“The thing that I’m most proud of with that team was how much pride we showed in representing our country and being Americans. We’re so lucky to be from this great country and to be able to represent [that].”

He continued, “Just to be able to represent and look down and see the USA crest – there’s nothing that’ll beat that. So, it’s incredible.”

Last week’s final came amid heightened political tensions between Canada and the U.S. President Donald Trump teased Canadian lawmakers about the country becoming its “51st state.” He also openly called Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau the “governor” of Canada and threatened a series of tariffs.

The intensity led to Canadian fans booing the American national anthem before two games in the tournament – something that fueled Team USA on the ice.

“Canada Got the Special Whistle”

During the Tonight Show interview, Jimmy Fallon asked Tkachuk about the intense rivalry between Team Canada and the U.S. in the 4 Nations Final, a series that culminated in a dramatic showdown. Tkachuk, who is known for his candid and sometimes controversial statements, didn’t hold back when addressing the result.

“Well, we didn’t lose to Canada, we lost to the refs,” Tkachuk said, with a hint of frustration in his voice. “Canada definitely got the special whistle in that game.” Fallon, amused but intrigued, probed further, asking Tkachuk to elaborate on what he meant by “the special whistle.”

Tkachuk explained that several key moments in the game were influenced by questionable calls that he believed disproportionately favored Canada. While he acknowledged the talent of the Canadian team, he made it clear that the refereeing decisions had a significant impact on the outcome. “It wasn’t the game we were playing,” Tkachuk added. “It was the calls that were made—and not made—that decided the final result.”

Florida Panthers place Matthew Tkachuk on long-term injured reserve with groin injury

The Florida Panthers placed star forward Matthew Tkachuk on long-term injured reserve on Sunday due to a groin injury.
The groin injury has been aggravating Tkachuk since he sustained it during the 4 Nations Face-Off while playing for Team USA.

Sending Tkachuk to IR clears up $8.7 million in salary cap space for a team that just coincidentally traded for veteran defenceman Seth Jones from the Chicago Blackhawks, which will count for $7 million against their cap.

Should Tkachuk miss the rest of the regular season, Florida will be able to bring him back for the playoffs – a move organizations around the league have been doing for years now to boost their team while manoeuvring around the salary cap situation.

The other half of the Tkachuk brothers was having a solid season for the Panthers, putting up 22 goals and 35 assists in 52 games.

But now that he’ll be able to rest for the remainder of the regular season, expect a fully-healthy Tkachuk come playoff time.