Florida Panthers Matthew Tkachuk’s hilarious comments after Quinn Hughes OT winner for Team USA
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Jonathan Ouimet
Feb 19, 2026 (5:45 PM)
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Photo credit: Mike Segar/Reuters via Imagn Images
Matthew Tkachuk hearing the roar after Quinn Hughes’ OT winner felt like a release, because Team USA pride hits different when you fought your way back from surgery.
Tkachuk told reporters he didn’t know if the shot went “post and in” or “post and out.”
Then he admitted the part that made fans smile. It was “definitely the highest I’ve jumped since my surgery.”
That line lands because his season has been a grind. He had surgery in late August to repair a torn adductor muscle and a sports hernia.
He barely played early in 2025-26, so the rhythm wasn’t there. His NHL totals before the Olympic break sit at 3-5-8 in limited action.
Now he’s right back in high-stakes hockey. The U.S. just beat Sweden 2-1 in overtime on Quinn Hughes’ winner.
It was the kind of moment that makes your legs feel light, even if your body still remembers rehab.
And it’s not just about him. Matthew’s sharing this run with his brother Brady, which adds a little extra juice to every scrum.
When the Tkachuks are rolling, the game gets loud. They crash space, talk their talk, and dare teams to match it.
Matthew Tkachuk lifts the United States men's hockey team
As a hockey fan, you can feel the pride through the screen, because that jump sounded like a guy realizing he’s really back.
The best part is how normal it looked. No careful steps, no “don’t twist” posture, just instinct and adrenaline.
That matters for Florida too. A healthy Tkachuk changes the Panthers’ whole identity when he’s driving a line.
Up next for Team USA is a semifinal date with Slovakia, and it’s the exact kind of game that tests whether this group can win ugly.
The Americans just survived Sweden in overtime, but Slovakia is coming in hot after blasting Germany to earn its spot in the final four, so there’s no room for a slow start.
It’s a one-game swing with the gold-medal door cracked open, and the U.S. knows the margin is razor-thin now.
The Olympics also do something the NHL can’t always do. They turn a comeback into a country-wide moment in one single bounce off a post.
If Tkachuk keeps playing free, the U.S. isn’t just dangerous. It’s the kind of team nobody wants to see in a one-game swing.
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