Matthew Tkachuk made an immediate impact after joining the Florida Panthers for the 2022-23 season, revitalizing the team and leading them to the Stanley Cup Final in his first year. Although they fell short in 2023, Tkachuk was the standout of those playoffs, scoring 11 goals, including four game-winners—three of which came in overtime. His relentless determination and competitive spirit reshaped the team's mindset, setting the stage for their Stanley Cup victory just one season later in 2024.
Tkachuk's heroics were particularly evident in the 2023 Eastern Conference Final against the Carolina Hurricanes. In Game 1, which extended to four overtime periods, he netted the winner in Carolina. He followed up in Game 2 with another game-winning goal, this time in the first overtime, still on the road. Finally, in Game 4, with only five seconds remaining in the third period, Tkachuk scored the series-clinching goal, sending the home Panthers crowd into a frenzy and cementing his legacy as the hero of that series.