Championship teams often remember the trophies, but the moments that stay with players are usually the battles it took to get there. As the NHL moves further from Florida’s Stanley Cup runs, one particular series continues to stand above the rest in the minds of those who lived it.
Matthew Tkachuk revealed his pick from those two battles against Connor McDavid’s Edmonton Oilers in this week’s episode of his podcast.
Matthew Tkachuk Picks 2024 Panthers-Oilers Final Over Florida’s Other Stanley Cup Playoff Series
During a recent episode of the Wingmen podcast with brother Brady Tkachuk, Matthew revisited Florida’s championship years and made it clear which Stanley Cup run remains closest to him.
While the Panthers captured titles in both 2024 and 2025 against Edmonton, Tkachuk said the first championship carries a different weight because of the pressure, uncertainty, and drama that surrounded every game.
Tkachuk admitted that Florida may have been the stronger overall team during its 2025 title run. However, he explained that the series itself never matched the intensity of what unfolded in 2024. “I think that first one, Game 7, being up three and then down three,” Tkachuk said while describing why that championship remains his favorite.
The Panthers appeared to be cruising toward the Stanley Cup after building a commanding 3-0 series lead. Then the momentum completely shifted. Edmonton stormed back with three consecutive victories, forcing a winner-takes-all Game 7 and turning the Final into one of the most dramatic championship series in recent NHL history.
Reflecting on the difference between the two Finals, Tkachuk noted that Florida felt more comfortable during its 2025 championship run. “We felt like we had good control in the series last year,” he said, adding, “Even though we were down 1-0, even though we were tied 2-2. We just felt like we had good control the whole time.”
There was confidence inside the locker room that they could dictate the outcome. Whereas the 2024 matchup felt entirely different.
“But that first year, it was anybody’s game each and every night, it felt like,” Tkachuk said. This unpredictability is what elevated the series above every other playoff experience he has had.
Just as notable was the respect he showed for the Oilers roster that pushed Florida to the limit. Tkachuk described Edmonton as “stacked top to bottom” and praised the overall quality of the team throughout the series. He also singled out Connor McDavid, saying the Oilers captain was “playing out of his mind” during the Final.
McDavid’s performance ultimately earned him the Conn Smythe Trophy despite Edmonton falling short of the Stanley Cup, a rare accomplishment that showed how dominant he was throughout the 2024 postseason, scoring 42 points.
For Tkachuk, the combination of elite talent, dramatic momentum swings, and the pressure of Game 7 created a playoff experience unlike any other. “That was just the most memorable playoff series that I’ve been in, that I’ve played, that I’ve watched on TV,” Tkachuk said. “So by far, that’s not even close to number one for me.”
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Florida’s second championship may have been cleaner, but the first battle against Edmonton remains the benchmark in Tkachuk’s eyes.
