Matthew Tkachuk was back where it all started on Saturday night as his Florida Panthers squad visited the Calgary Flames, and it was an emotional one for him.
Though this isn’t the first time Tkachuk has played in Calgary since he was traded from the team in the summer of 2022, it was his first time back in the city since former Flames teammate Johnny Gaudreau passed away this past summer.
Before the game, reporters asked Tkachuk if being back in Calgary brought up any memories. He gave a beautiful response.
“I’m telling a lot of Johnny stories today,” Tkachuk said before the game. “Dinner last night, we had one of his favourite spots [Mercato], used to go there with him all the time.
“We were pretty much inseparable for some of those years… Miss him a lot, and it’s still crazy to think about.”
Former #Flames star Matthew Tkachuk, asked if being back in Calgary (and back at the Saddledome) has him thinking about his close friend Johnny Gaudreau: pic.twitter.com/W05H0TSIok
— Wes Gilbertson (@WesGilbertson) December 14, 2024
For many Flames fans, both Tkachuk and Gaudreau defined a generation of NHL hockey in Calgary. For the better part of the last decade, Gaudreau and Tkachuk were Calgary’s best players.
It was a monumental loss to see both players leave the team in the same summer. While Tkachuk is no longer with the Flames, it’s nice that he can look back on his tenure with fond memories.
This isn’t the first time that the former Flames star has paid attention to his former team this season. He also mentioned that he made sure to tune into the Flames game against the Columbus Blue Jackets earlier this month, during which both clubs paid tribute to Gaudreau.
“I was tuning in a little bit to the game with Columbus and Calgary here a week or two ago,” Tkachuk said. “I thought they did an amazing job of honouring him… Miss him a ton.”
While the game may not have gone as Tkachuk and the Panthers wanted, with the team losing 3-0 to the Flames, it’s great that he could spend his brief time in Calgary honouring his old friend.