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Could Matthew Tkachuk become the biggest hockey star to ever come through South Florida?

And in some ways, is he already there?

Perhaps asking such a question is premature. Even a bit hyperbolic, or at least a manifestation of recency bias. How can someone who is on the verge of finishing his first campaign with the Florida Panthers — a franchise that has had more than 440 players over its near 30-year history — already create this sort of discussion?

Maybe it has more to do with the realization Tkachuk might be unlike anyone the Panthers have ever seen.

“To look at all the players who have come through this organization, Pavel Bure cannot compare to him,” said Bill Lindsay, who spent seven seasons with the Panthers and is now a member of the team’s broadcast crew. “Jonathan Huberdeau — they are night and day different players. Brad Marchand is a comparable around the league somewhat in that he plays with that edge.

“He’s changed the trajectory of this franchise. To me, he is unique. Of all the players who have come through here, he’s a one-of-a-kind player.”

Markets such as South Florida face a constant crucible from the outside world when it comes to how hockey is valued. All the familiar talking points have shadowed the franchise for the majority of its existence.

Not enough fans. Not enough long-term success to create generational fandom. There are too many entertainment options in South Florida. The Panthers play in an arena that is closer to the Everglades Wildlife Management Area than Fort Lauderdale.

Yet Tkachuk’s arrival has hushed a number of those criticisms, while offering context to those who are not familiar with how sports fandom works in South Florida. It’s a market that isn’t always invested in every single game of a team’s schedule. What does enthrall South Florida, however, is when something is an event.

This is why Formula One is there. It’s why the NFL makes it a Super Bowl destination. It’s why the Orange Bowl is a College Football Playoff/New Year’s Six Bowl Game option.

Watching Tkachuk play hockey is an event. Watching Tkachuk in a press conference is an event. Watching Tkachuk on “Inside the NBA” is an event. Watching him talk about what it meant to be in People Magazine is an event.

“He has everything you’d want,” said Dave Hyde, the longtime columnist at the South Florida Sun Sentinel. “He’s funny. He’s personable. He’s very much a team player. He’s a big scorer. He fights. This was a quiet, cute Panthers team a year ago when they led the league in [points in] the regular season. They didn’t have a real loud personality. Now, their leading scorer has a fire to him that you don’t have to understand hockey to understand what is going on. In that measure, he’s perfect in that he transcends hockey.”

South Florida has seen hockey stars before. Bure, Dino Ciccarrelli, Jaromir Jagr, Igor Larionov, Roberto Luongo and Joe Nieuwendyk are Hall of Famers. Joe Thornton will eventually join that list. All of them played with the Panthers.

Bure was a walking highlight reel who had two 50-goal seasons. Jagr had the mystique along with the relatable experience of being someone at a more advanced age who chose to live in South Florida. Luongo had the longevity, as 11 of his 19 seasons were in South Florida, coupled with the fact that his wife’s parents owned a pizza restaurant not far from the team’s practice facility in Coral Springs.

There are also other stars on this year’s Panthers, such as two-time Vezina Trophy winner Sergei Bobrovsky and two-time NHL All-Star Aleksander Barkov, who also has a Selke Trophy.

What makes Tkachuk different? What is it about him that has allowed him to own the conversation and made him more visible in one season than anyone else who has played there?

George Richards, who covers the Panthers for Florida Hockey Now, has been around the team for nearly 20 seasons. He explained how Bure had stardom because of his 50-goal campaigns and the fact he was dating pro tennis player Anna Kournikova. But he was in South Florida for just two full seasons. Jagr was with the team for three seasons at a stage in his career when he was a household name from his many years with the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Luongo remains recognizable but Hyde points out that Luongo’s best years came when he was with the Vancouver Canucks and that the Panthers made the playoffs only once in his time with the club.

“[Tkachuk] has become the poster boy, and in December was South Florida running amok with Matthew Tkachuk? No,” Richards said. “The most casual fan didn’t know who he was and they didn’t know who he was when they traded Huberdeau for him.

“He got off on the wrong foot in South Florida because he played in Calgary. The hockey people had to tell the fans how good he is. Nobody here really watched the Calgary Flames. The thought was, ‘You traded Huberdeau?’ Nobody got past that. But since he came here, like Barkov said, it felt like he has known the guy for 10 years. Tkachuk won them over.”

Hyde, Richards and longtime South Florida radio host Joe Rose all said the love affair with Tkachuk in South Florida started at his introductory press conference. Tkachuk turned heads for his now famed line of, “I hate Edmonton, but I hate Tampa more now.”

Even so, Richards said, many fans had reservations after seeing the Panthers trade Huberdeau, a homegrown talent and 100-point scorer who never hid his affinity for South Florida.

Richards said Tkachuk did things like throw out the first pitch at a Miami Marlins game and leave an impression with the Marlins’ television broadcast crew during his in-game visit, all before training camp even started.

“He was selling it from day one,” Richards said.

But it took time for everyone to get on board. The Panthers went from dominating the NHL in the regular season in 2021-22 to looking like they could miss the playoffs this season. But then, Tkachuk produced in ways that helped the Panthers win while also putting himself in the Hart Trophy discussion as the league’s most valuable player.

He also made his mark at the All-Star Game, which was held in South Florida. Tkachuk was named the game’s MVP after scoring seven points in front of many of the fans who watch him play on a nightly basis.

“It had the Miami Vice feel and here’s Matthew Tkachuk on his golf cart being the typical Florida guy,” Richards said. “He took a lot of blame and a lot of people thought, ‘We would have been better off if we had kept Huberdeau.’ He had to overcome that. When this team was not very good, he took a lot of blame. … The All-Star Game really helped. The Panthers were getting better and with Tkachuk in that Miami Vice jersey, he was the story.”

Getting the Panthers into the Stanley Cup playoffs, finishing with the fourth 40-goal season in team history, the second-most assists (69) and second-most points (109) in team history and just the second 100-point season in team history was only the start. Leading Florida out of a 3-1 series hole to beat the Boston Bruins, who finished with the best regular-season record in NHL history, changed everything.

Tkachuk was one of the team’s most visible figures in that series, scoring three goals and six points, including the winner in overtime in Game 5 to keep the season alive.

“Last year’s team was so much fun. They could be down three goals in the third period and score seven,” Rose said. “They put up stupid numbers and they were fun. But they didn’t play that well in the playoffs. What he did in the regular season is one thing. But he comes into these playoffs. He’s talking it, walking it, talking it again and he’s got game-winning goals, setting guys up, jumping and trying to help. I think it’s those things and his personality.”

For former players such as Lindsay and Ed Jovanovski, also a member of the Panthers’ broadcast team, seeing Tkachuk and the team do this well has made them emotional for many reasons.

It reminds them of what it was like during that 1995-96 season, when the Panthers were in the Stanley Cup Final. They remember what it was like to see the entire metro area care about the team and take interest in the sport.

They also remember the difficult years of the Panthers missing the playoffs and the constant reboots that came with the oft-used theme of “this time will be different” only to have the same disappointing result.

What Tkachuk is doing is coming at an important time for the Panthers. They’ve made the playoffs in four straight seasons, starting with the qualifying round in 2020. This is the longest stretch of consecutive playoff seasons in team history which, in turn, makes it the golden age of Panthers hockey.

“It’s exciting because of what they have and where they are at age-wise, it should be a thing for where you are looking at this and you’re going to put a great product on the ice,” Jovanovski said. “The foundation is there and starting with Matthew and Barky, these guys are here long-term. A lot of their core guys are in the prime age of their career.”

Rose said that’s why the next long-term goal for Tkachuk and the Panthers is to sustain what they have done. He said South Florida still comes with the challenge of being a place that does not have an abundance of rinks. And while there are South Floridians in the NHL, Shayne Gostisbehere and Jakob Chychrun notably, there is work to be done when it comes to creating a long-term connection with the rest of the market.

Right now, the Miami Heat and the Panthers have South Florida’s undivided attention. The Heat are used to that, whereas it has been a while for the Panthers. Rose cited the importance of the Panthers having the same established success that has allowed the Heat to create their long-standing fandom and interest.

“The winning and the fact that a lot more people down here can pick up a basketball, go to a gym and see kids are playing basketball,” Rose said. “[The Panthers] got hurt by that. There wasn’t a lot of hockey being played down here before [original team owner] Wayne Huizenga, and they had that one run and that died out after the success of going to the finals. This is going to be fun to see where this goes. I am curious to see where hockey fits into the big picture of South Florida.”

The fact that Tkachuk is just 25 and is completing the first season of an eight-year contract on a team that is enjoying its longest period of sustained success creates optimism. So could Tkachuk be the biggest hockey star South Florida has ever seen?

“If he wins the Cup, he’s the biggest star that ever comes through here,” Lindsay said. “Nobody has done that. Nobody has ever done what he’s done in the playoffs.”

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Landeskog scores 1st NHL goal in nearly 3 years

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Landeskog scores 1st NHL goal in nearly 3 years

Perhaps the only detail more emphatic than the goals in the Colorado Avalanche‘s 4-0 win over the Dallas Stars Saturday night, was the impact provided by their captain, Gabriel Landeskog.

Landeskog, who returned in Game 3 of this Western Conference first-round series after missing nearly three seasons while recovering from a knee injury, scored his first goal since June 20, 2022, in a multi-point performance that saw the Avalanche tie the series at 2-2 in Game 4 at Ball Arena. Game 5 is Monday in Dallas.

“It means a lot,” Landeskog told reporters after the win. “Obviously, I’ve envisioned scoring again for a long time. There obviously days when I didn’t know if I was ever going to score again. It obviously feels good. It’s a tight playoff series in a big game here at home. To get to do it here at home in front of our fans obviously means a means a lot. Super exciting. Hopefully more to come.”

A short-handed goal from Logan O’Connor midway through the first period followed by a late power-play goal from Nathan MacKinnon staked the Avalanche to a 2-0 lead entering the second period.

That set the stage for Landeskog, who was in the slot when Brock Nelson fed a pass that the 32-year-old winger launched for a one-timer that beat Stars goaltender Jake Oettinger for a 3-0 lead.

Landeskog, who was playing on the second line, was instantly mobbed by his teammates on the nice such as Samuel Girard, Valeri Nichushkin, Devon Toews and Nelson, who joined the Avalanche at the NHL trade deadline.

As Landeskog returned to the bench, he was congratulated by the entire team which also included a hug from a smiling MacKinnon, who along with Landeskog, have been with the franchise for more than a decade.

“I was just proud of him again,” Avalanche coach Jared Bednar told reporters after the game. “I was proud of him regardless of if he scores or not because I know what he’s gone through, and I know how difficult that was. I think that takes it to another level. You know he wants to come back and contribute like he did in the past and he’s off to a great start.”

Landeskog’s goal was the latest milestone in what’s been a lengthy recovery from a chronically injured right knee. He missed what amounted to 1,032 days since his last NHL game.

In that time, the Avalanche have remained in a championship window but have dramatically altered their roster. The Avs have nine players from that championship team who have remained with the franchise and have since reshuffled a roster that led to them re-acquiring defenseman Erik Johnson, one of Landeskog’s closest friends, in their bid for the fourth title in franchise history.

Even with all the changes, there were still questions about when they could see Landeskog return to the lineup. And if Landeskog did return, what he could look like?

His first professional game in three years came April 11 with the Avalanche’s AHL affiliate where he logged 15 minutes. Landeskog would then score a goal and get an assist in his second and final game.

And much like his AHL stint, all it took was two games for Landeskog to score and have another two-point performance.

While Landeskog’s goal became the most celebrated moment of the evening, what he did to help create the Avalanche’s fourth goal was an example of why he’s so crucial to their title aspirations.

Landeskog played a pass to Nelson who then found a Girard for a shot from the point that gave the Avs a 4-0 lead in the fourth. In the time Landeskog passed the puck, he anchored himself at the net front to gain position on 6-foot-7 Stars defensemen Lian Bichsel to screen goaltender Casey DeSmith, who replaced Oettinger for the third period.

Jockeying with Bichsel, who is six inches taller and 16 pounds heavier, allowed Landeskog to test both his strength and that right knee to gain leverage.

The result? Girard’s shot found space in traffic with Landeskog making it hard for DeSmith to see the puck.

“He’s a big boy,” Landeskog said with a smile. “He’s a big strong guy, a physical player and hard to play against. I was trying to get in front of their goal, and he was trying to get me out of there. It was a good battle.”

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Duran steals home, leaves Red Sox in amazement

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Duran steals home, leaves Red Sox in amazement

CLEVELAND — Jarren Duran barely had time to catch his breath after tripling in the third inning. It didn’t matter, he had already made up his mind to run again.

Duran pulled off Boston’s first straight steal of home plate in exactly 16 years, scoring on the next pitch from Doug Nikhazy as the Red Sox beat the Cleveland Guardians 7-3 in the second game of a doubleheader Saturday.

“(Third base coach Kyle Hudson) heard him tell the umpire that he was working from the stretch, so I decided I was going to go on the first pitch,” Duran said. “It was just to keep the offense going and cause a little chaos. I knew I had it.”

As Nikhazy went from the windup, Duran broke for home. He slid headfirst and slapped his right hand on the plate ahead of Bo Naylor‘s tag. Umpire Brock Ballou’s safe call was upheld in a video review.

“Under the new rules, he’s kind of the perfect player,” Boston manager Alex Cora said of Duran. “We saw a window there and he took advantage of the situation.”

It marked the first straight steal of home plate by the Red Sox since Jacoby Ellsbury against the Yankees on April 26, 2009. Duran’s two previous thefts of home were part of double steals last season at Tampa Bay on May 21 and at the White Sox on June 7.

“It was really a cool play and a cool sequence of events there,” Red Sox pitcher Walker Buehler said. “He’s one of the most exciting players in baseball. After watching him from afar, it’s been fun to see him up close this season.”

Nikhazy, a 25-year-old left-hander, was making his major league debut and had already allowed five runs in 2 2/3 innings. With Rafael Devers in the batter’s box, he said he took “a peek” at Duran before delivering the ball.

Guardians manager Stephen Vogt praised Duran for making “a head’s up baseball play” because third baseman José Ramírez was off the line, but his starting pitcher blamed himself.

“He had taken a big jump and he took off immediately,” Nikhazy said. “In the moment, I chose to make the pitch as opposed to stepping off. Ultimately, when I saw him, I should have stepped off.”

Duran went 3 for 5 with three runs and two RBI in the nightcap. He was hitless in four at-bats in the first game, which Cleveland won 5-4.

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Mariners shut down Gilbert (elbow) for 2 weeks

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Mariners shut down Gilbert (elbow) for 2 weeks

The Seattle Mariners placed right-hander Logan Gilbert on the 15-day injured list Saturday with a right elbow flexor strain.

The All-Star pitcher left his start Friday night against the Miami Marlins after three perfect innings because of right forearm tightness.

An MRI revealed a Grade 1 flexor strain, the team said. Gilbert won’t throw for two weeks, at which point he’ll be reevaluated.

Gilbert, 24, entered Friday’s game with a 1-1 record, 2.37 ERA and 44 strikeouts in 20⅓ innings. He is 42-31 with a 3.55 ERA in five big league seasons, all with the Mariners.

In other moves announced Saturday, Seattle recalled left-hander Tayler Saucedo and right-hander Troy Taylor from Triple-A Tacoma, and designated righty Casey Lawrence for assignment.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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