Looks like Matthew Tkachuk’s name’s been bouncing around the hockey grapevine lately, and not just for his stick skills. Just a day after the NHL handed Brandon Hagel a timeout for his late knock on Sasha Barkov, Tkachuk decided to stir the pot in Game 3 a few days ago. With the Panthers already trailing 4-1 and the clock winding down, he absolutely leveled Jake Guentzel with a shoulder hit that came in like a wrecking ball after the puck was long gone. Sure, Guentzel didn’t get benched like Barkov, and yeah, he did touch the puck—but even the casual fans could see that hit was riding fashionably late. And just five minutes before the buzzer? Tkachuk gets tossed after some wild shoving matches turned the rink into a mini warzone.
The twist? No disciplinary hearing. Nada. Elliotte Friedman confirmed it’s case closed, Tkachuk skated away clean, and fans are not letting it slide. While Hagel sat out Saturday’s game thanks to his penalty, Tkachuk got the VIP treatment, and folks aren’t exactly thrilled about it. One fan even dropped, “But Hagel got one for his. NHL again showing they favor certain players and teams.” Add to that, the Panthers being reigning champs and Tkachuk’s high-value status, and the favoritism claims just snowballed. And in classic Tkachuk fashion? He slid a cheeky little jab at the trolls during a TNT interview—smooth, subtle, and oh-so-sassy.
So things got real spicy on The Pat McAfee Show when Pat and Paul Bissonnette linked up on a call for Matthew Tkachuk, just vibing and talking hockey chaos. Biz, never one to hold back, came out swingin’ with the question that had everyone leaning in, “planning on hitting any Maple Leafs players this round or what?” And Pat? He doubled down like only Pat can, throwing in a cheeky twist: “hey you planning on taking any cheap shots, Tkachuk is what he’s saying?” It was playful, it was savage, and it was peak locker-room banter in broadcast form.
And Tkachuk? Oh, he hit ’em with a grin and a line that had folks howling: “I don’t know what he’s talking about. If I would have been taking cheap shots, I would have been suspended.” Smooth, slick, and dripping with that classic Tkachuk edge. The man basically swerved the accusation with style, reminding everyone that if he was out there playing dirty, he’d be sitting in the penalty box—or worse.
I’m getting a FaceTime from @BizNasty2point0 #PMSLive https://t.co/BwSsSfGt3Y pic.twitter.com/ubjRd6aTwy
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) May 2, 2025
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