Matthew Tkachuk admits something Panthers fans wouldn't have expected after Olympic return

Following a highly intense international tournament, the incredibly gritty power forward openly admitted something that no Panthers fan ever expected to hear slip from his mouth.

Addressing the media after his massive Olympic return, Tkachuk explicitly showered his fiercest NHL enemies with the ultimate praise, officially declaring his bitter, blood-feud rivalry with the Edmonton Oilers as he states Connor McDavid the best in the world.

For a player who built his entire terrifying reputation on absolutely tormenting the Oilers during the unforgiving Battle of Alberta, and recently crushing their ultimate championship dreams in the Stanley Cup Final, this level of blatant, undeniable respect is a massive development.

Surviving the incredibly physical, grinding NHL schedule requires an absolute hatred for your opponents, and Panthers fans have fully embraced Tkachuk as their ultimate supervillain against the Edmonton franchise.

However, sharing the ice with the absolute elite, generational talent at the Olympics seemingly gave the 28-year-old superstar a brand-new, highly enlightened perspective on the sheer magnitude of their epic, heavily televised clashes.

While Tkachuk heavily respects the undeniable greatness of McDavid and the sheer, unforgiving hostility of the Oilers rivalry, fans in South Florida should absolutely not panic.

When the puck officially drops for their next massive Stanley Cup rematch, Tkachuk will undoubtedly return to his terrifying, bone-crushing ways, completely ready to violently run the Oilers right out of the building.