May 28, 2023 GMT
Florida Panthers left wing Matthew Tkachuk reacts after scoring the game-winning goal against the Carolina Hurricanes in the waning seconds of the third period of Game 4 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Eastern Conference finals Wednesday, May 24, 2023, in Sunrise, Fla. Florida Panthers left wing Matthew Tkachuk reacts after scoring the game-winning goal against the Carolina Hurricanes in the waning seconds of the third period of Game 4 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Eastern Conference finals Wednesday, May 24, 2023, in Sunrise, Fla. went to high school with Boston star Jayson Tatum in St. Louis. He now has Miami star Jimmy Butler wearing his Florida Panthers jersey for workouts.
And everyone wants to know who Tkachuk is rooting for in the Boston-Miami matchup in the NBA’s Eastern Conference finals. Understandably, the answer is a bit complicated. “I think the best answer so I have people in St. Louis still on my side — I’m rooting for my two favorite players, Jimmy Butler and Tatum,” Tkachuk said before Game 6 of the Boston-Miami series, the first time he was at a Heat game in person. “I hope they both go off … but for the whole Florida vibe, I hope this building is electric all night.”