Veteran of the Battle of Alberta, Matthew Tkachuk returns to Edmonton as Public Enemy No. 1
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Greg Wyshynski, ESPN
EDMONTON — Before Matthew Tkachuk was a star player for the Florida Panthers, he was the most hated man in Edmonton.
Tkachuk spent the first six seasons of this NHL career with the Calgary Flames, combating in the Battle of Alberta, the decades-spanning rivalry in which the Flames and the Edmonton Oilers would bludgeon each other to the delight of neighboring fan bases. It’s a feud that stands next to any geographic rivalry in sports based on its championship prestige, Hall of Fame talent and unwavering vitriol.
It most recently erupted again in 2020. It was Tkachuk who lit the fuse, with big hits and his trademark provocation.
“Since being in Edmonton, that was probably the most fun that the Battle of Alberta ever was,” said defenseman Darnell Nurse, who has played 10 seasons with the Oilers. “It was just the animosity, the heat that was going on between those teams. And he brought a lot of that.”
Tkachuk remembers those rivalry games well.
“I guess I know them more than probably most guys by playing in Calgary,” Tkachuk said. “But we just had the one playoff series against them that they won, and played a bunch in the regular season. There’s a lot of different guys over there now.”
Calgary traded Tkachuk to the Panthers two years ago. He has returned to Edmonton twice since.
“I know last year I was booed every time I touched the puck. This year there was nothing, so I have no idea this time,” he said.
His third reunion with Oilers fans will be Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final on Thursday night (8 p.m. ET, ABC/ESPN+), with the Panthers up 2-0 in the series. It’s a moment that finds Tkachuk closing in on a championship, the Oilers desperate to stay alive and the scars from the Battle of Alberta aching for both of them.
“Whenever you get into those heated rivalries, someone’s going to be the face of it, inevitably,” Nurse said. “And he became that face.”
TKACHUK WAS 22 years old in 2020, having quickly earned a reputation as one of the NHL’s greatest agitators. He threw big hits. His mouth was a stream of unfiltered trash talk. He had 262 penalty minutes in his first 273 games. But what really ticked off opponents was another stat: His 212 career points in that span.
He was a player opponents simply hated, and hated that he was that good.
Tkachuk made some enemies early in his career. Los Angeles Kings defenseman Drew Doughty called him “a dirty kid” and said, “I respect everyone else. I’ll never talk to him off the ice.”
But that was like exchanging friendship bracelets when compared to his heat with Oilers forward Zack Kassian.
Kassian was a physical enforcer and would line up next to Edmonton star Connor McDavid to watch his back. He relished the Battle of Alberta and finished his career with 126 penalty minutes against the Flames — 70 more minutes than he had against any other team.
The Flames hosted the Oilers on Jan. 11, 2020. Tkachuk targeted Kassian with two huge hits, the second one knocking off the Oilers forward’s helmet. Kassian responded by ripping off Tkachuk’s helmet, grabbing him by the neck of his jersey and pummeling him.
Kassian threw Tkachuk down to the ice twice, but the Flames forward wouldn’t engage in a fight. The linesmen finally stepped in.
Kassian was given a double minor penalty for roughing and a misconduct. Calgary scored on the ensuing power play to win the game 4-3.
The Battle of Alberta was reborn.
“If he doesn’t want to get hit, then stay off the tracks. I caught him three times there. You’d think he learned after the first one,” Tkachuk said after the game. “If he wants to react like that, we’ll take the power play and we’ll take the game winner and we’ll take first place.”
As for not dropping the gloves with Kassian?
“I’m not fighting him. Tough little trade-off there [for Edmonton],” Tkachuk added.
James Neal of the Oilers said: “You can ask any guy in hockey. No one wants to see that hit. He targets his head and takes him out. The whole thing is ridiculous, and the way he talks about it is just stupid.”
Tkachuk received criticism from outside the rivalry for his actions.
Former NHL goalie Corey Hirsch said they were “two reckless hits to the head” that forced Kassian “to take matters into his own hands.” Former NHL forward Ryan Kesler said, “You can’t just turtle like he did after you throw two clean but dirty hits. … I think everybody that knows the game of hockey thinks what Kassian did was right.”
Oilers fans got in on the act, too, posting turtle memes online about Tkachuk. A local Edmonton radio show created a parody song called “He’s a Turtle” with lyrics such as, “His gloves are glued on his hands / Now it’s pretty clear he’s hated by fans.”
Kassian had a hearing with the NHL Department of Player Safety. George Parros, NHL vice president of player safety, told him that both of Tkachuk’s hits were legal, before the department handed the Oilers forward a two-game suspension.
“I’d do it again. All over again. He messed with the wrong guy,” Kassian said. “Clean or dirty, if someone takes two runs at you on the blindside … if you’ve going to play big boy hockey, you have to answer the bell once in a while.”
Kassian said that Tkachuk’s refusal to answer for his actions was noticed around the league.
“He’s going to play the way he wants to play. If he just answers the bell right there, I don’t think anything ever happens,” he said. “And I think he might gain a percent of respect in the league.”
The next meeting between the Flames and Oilers was Jan. 29.
Or as one billboard put it, the next stop on the “Matthew Tkachuk Friendship Tour.”
Flames fan Mohammad Elsaghir started a GoFundMe to raise money for a billboard celebrating Tkachuk that would been seen in Edmonton. As money poured in, Elsaghir decided to pivot and use it as a fundraiser for ALS research, raising $25,000 in the process. A Calgary radio station stepped up and made the “Matthew Tkachuk Friendship Tour” a reality, and it ran about a week before the next meeting.
Late in the first period of the Jan. 29 matchup, Edmonton fans roared as Kassian and Tkachuk finally had their fight, with the Oilers brawler making quick work of the Flames forward.
But the bell that Tkachuk rung in the Battle of Alberta could not be unrung. The next meeting was Feb. 1 and featured a line brawl between the teams, with Tkachuk fighting Oilers defenseman Ethan Bear. It was best remembered for a goalie fight between Calgary’s Mike Smith and Edmonton’s Cam Talbot, to underscore the chaos.
“The Battle of Alberta was always intense, and then Chucky definitely brought a little extra spark to that,” said the Florida Panthers’ Sam Bennett, Tkachuk’s teammate now and also back then with the Flames. “Those are fun games to be a part of.”
Tkachuk’s rivalry with the Oilers would continue into his days with the Panthers. On Nov. 28, 2022, he made his first visit back to Edmonton as a member of Florida. He was booed whenever he touched the puck.
And in true Tkachuk fashion, he silenced the crowd with a first-period goal, and then taunted Edmonton fans by cupping his glove to his ear as he celebrated.
THE TALE OF Matthew Tkachuk vs. the Edmonton Oilers isn’t just one of contentious, violent rivalry.
It’s also one of the NHL’s greatest recent “what-ifs?”
Because in 2016, Tkachuk was one draft pick away from becoming an Oiler.
The first two picks in the draft that year were obvious: Center Auston Matthews was going first overall to the Toronto Maple Leafs, and Finnish winger Patrik Laine was bound for the Winnipeg Jets.
The Columbus Blue Jackets held the third overall pick, and mock draft after mock draft predicted they’d select Finnish winger Jesse Puljujarvi. It was so expected that TSN ran an article titled, “Here’s what happens after No. 3” in the draft.
Except when it was time for the third overall pick, Blue Jackets head scout Ville Sirén announced they had selected center Pierre Luc-Dubois of the Quebec Major Junior league.
Surprise swept through the arena in Buffalo, from fans to the live broadcasts. But the Jackets had indicated they might draft for positional need, and Dubois was the next best center on the board.
The Oilers had been projected by some to select Tkachuk at No. 4 after the Jackets took Puljujarvi. Except now Puljujarvi was still on the board, and Edmonton snagged him with that pick.
Puljujarvi was a major disappointment in Edmonton, playing six seasons before he was traded to Carolina. Tkachuk has 461 more points in his NHL career than Puljujarvi.
How close did Tkachuk come to becoming an Oiler? Four years ago, he told TSN Radio that they appeared ready to draft him before Dubois went to Columbus.
“During the draft, on the draft floor, it was kind of a weird moment where some people at the Edmonton table — you could ask them, they would probably deny it — but they’re kind of staring me down and kind of giving me some smiles. The only people that saw it were me and my mom. So we’re like, ‘All right, we’re going to Edmonton,'” he said. “Then Pierre-Luc Dubois went third overall, and the phone started to ring like crazy at the Edmonton table. They threw the jersey under the table and it looked like they stripped off a name and gave it to Puljujarvi with the next pick.”
Tkachuk was drafted sixth overall by the Flames. The rest is (alternate) history.
TKACHUK SAID HE HAD “kind of like a Christmas Eve feeling” before the Stanley Cup Final, giddy with anticipation for trying to win the Cup after the Panthers lost in the championship round last season to the Vegas Golden Knights.
When asked about the Oilers, there was no trash talk, no bulletin board material.
“They’re a great team. Finally got to watch some of their games against Dallas, since we were playing every other night. It was good to watch their games,” he said. “They played really well and ultimately deserved to win the West. It should make for a great final.”
After Florida went up 2-0 in the series with its Game 2 victory, Tkachuk was asked if the Oilers were rattled.
Again, he deferred.
“No, I don’t think so. It’s just sometimes the way it goes,” he said, before leaving the media scrum.
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The story of Matthew Tkachuk vs. the Edmonton Oilers is also a story of a young, brash superstar at the apex of his brashness who says he’s a much different player today. Tkachuk speaks with pride about what he perceives to be the Panthers’ maturity as a team and his own discipline on the ice, in contrast with how he’d played in the Battle of Alberta, for example.
“I’d say that used to be a part of my game. Now it’s pretty nonexistent,” he said. “I’ve kind of learned what works, and what works is playing as hard as I can for 30 to 45 seconds — well, sometimes I take the long shift, so 30 seconds to a minute. There’s no need to waste your time doing extra stuff.”
Panthers coach Paul Maurice has cited the 26-year-old Tkachuk’s maturity throughout the season, starting with how he approached this campaign after Florida’s stunning run to the Stanley Cup Final last season.
Maurice said Tkachuk was part of the leadership group that got the Panthers locked in to their defensive game this season, which was a byproduct of missing Aaron Ekblad and Brandon Montour at the start of 2023-24 after surgeries. He said Tkachuk’s attitude from the start of training camp help set the efficient, business-like tone of Florida’s approach.
“Last year, I think we were just kind of riding the wave,” Tkachuk said before the conference finals. “Going into this, we know what it’s going to take to ultimately come out on top.”
Tkachuk is tied with Aleksander Barkov with 19 points to lead all Panthers scorers. He hasn’t had the soaring moments as regularly as he did last playoff run.
But Maurice is confident that Tkachuk is still capable of them.
“His game is better. He’s more disciplined. He’s matured with this group over two years. I think he’s … primed,” the coach said. “I would never bet against him coming up with some heroics, but it’s certainly not the only thing we have to expect now when we come to the rink from him.”
If Tkachuk is going to have a signature moment in this run for the Panthers, having it happen in Edmonton seems appropriate, given their history.
It’s possible Tkachuk could skate the Cup for the first time in his career right over the Oilers’ logo at center ice — the ultimate last laugh for the player who was Public Enemy No. 1 in Edmonton.
Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander Jared Jones will undergo surgery on his right elbow Wednesday and will miss the remainder of the season, the team announced.
Jones, who was slated to be the team’s No. 2 starter this season, has been on the injury list with a UCL sprain in his right elbow. His recovery was trending in the right direction before a setback last week in which he felt discomfort while doing long tosses (100 feet).
Pirates senior director of sports medicine Todd Tomczyk said Jones, 23, visited elbow surgeon Dr. Keith Meister on Tuesday and made the decision to proceed with the surgery. A time frame for Jones’ return has yet to be established.
Jones went 6-8 with a 4.14 ERA in 22 starts during his rookie season in 2024, though he did miss time because of a lat injury.
Pittsburgh had hoped Jones would be featured near the top of the rotation, along with reigning National League Rookie of the Year Paul Skenes and veteran Mitch Keller.
Tomczyk said surgery was one of the options presented to Jones at the time of the injury, but Jones, with the support of the club and other medical experts, opted for rehab to give him a “fighting chance” to pitch in 2025.
Jones was shut down for six weeks, then began throwing from 60 feet in late April without issue. It wasn’t until the program was extended to 100 feet that Jones felt discomfort.
First baseman Enmanuel Valdez will also miss the rest of the season after having surgery on his left shoulder.
The Associated Press and Field Level Media contributed to this report.
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Greg Wyshynski
Four teams remain in the race for the Stanley Cup. The race for most valuable player of the NHL postseason is a bit more crowded.
Here’s the latest Conn Smythe Watch for the 2025 postseason. We asked over two dozen national writers and beat writers who are covering the conference finals for their top three MVP candidates after two rounds of play. Ballots were collected and tabulated before Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals.
Keep in mind that in the NHL, the Conn Smythe is based on a player’s performance during the entire postseason, not only the championship round. The award is voted on by an 18-person panel of Professional Hockey Writers Association members.
The current MVP leader
For the second straight round, Rantanen leads the Conn Smythe Watch as he helped lead the Dallas Stars to their third straight conference finals. Through 13 postseason games, he leads all playoff scorers with 19 points, including a playoff-best nine goals.
Rantanen was the only player to appear on every ballot we surveyed from the writers. Only two voters had him anywhere but first place for the Conn Smythe — one national writer had him second, and a beat writer had Rantanen third on their ballot.
As Dallas coach Peter DeBoer put it: Rantanen is playing as if he’s “on a mission.” He was a one-man wrecking crew against his old teammates from Colorado, the team that traded him earlier this season rather than sign him to a contract extension. He did more damage against the Winnipeg Jets in the second round with a Game 1 hat trick on the road.
Rantanen cooled off a little bit later in the series, with one assist in the last three games of the series. But his accomplishments to that point made him the clear MVP in the eyes of our panelists. He’s the first player in NHL history with five three-point games through a team’s first 10 playoff games in a single postseason. He set another NHL record by either scoring or assisting on 13 consecutive goals by his team. At one point, Rantanen had factored in on 15 of 16 goals for Dallas.
One voter noted that the “crazy solo efforts he has had in a couple of games” makes him an obvious choice.
Or as another voter put it: “It’s almost hard to believe the dominance he’s displayed.”
One thing to consider about Rantanen: He has the narrative. The “revenge tour” against the Avalanche in the first round was part of a larger story about proving he’s worth his big new contract with Dallas and that he can thrive as an offensive star without Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar on his team.
“When you think about his journey this year, he’s been through a lot,” DeBoer said. “There’s been a lot written about him. There’s been a lot said about him. There’s been a lot of doubters out there.”
So far, Rantanen has silenced them.
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The other favorites
This is where we need to reiterate that the ballot tabulation was done before Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals.
Andersen was the clear second choice among voters before he faced the Panthers. He was voted second for playoff MVP on 47% of the ballots we surveyed.
Before Game 1, he had allowed only 12 goals in nine games for a .937 save percentage and a 1.36 goals-against average. “His stats are mind-blowing when you think about how good Washington’s offense should have been in that series,” one voter said.
After giving up five goals on 20 shots to Florida in Carolina’s Game 1 loss — not all of them his fault entirely — Andersen’s save percentage dropped to .919 while his goals-against average rose to 1.74.
It’s possible that Andersen and Florida goalie Sergei Bobrovsky will see their spots in this ranking flip during the series. But it was only one game, and Andersen’s numbers at home before that loss to the Panthers were quite good.
McDavid was also in the top three in the last round. In the 2024 postseason, the Edmonton star became only the second player in NHL history to win the Conn Smythe in a losing effort, as the Oilers fell in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final to the Panthers. Now, he’s trying to become the fourth player ever — and the first player since Sidney Crosby (2016-17) — to win consecutive Conn Smythe trophies.
Through 11 games, McDavid has 17 points (three goals, 14 assists). His 1.55 points-per-game average leads all players still active in the postseason. Through 11 games last season, McDavid had 21 points. But that has been one of the things that defined this Oilers’ run to the conference finals: They haven’t needed McDavid and Leon Draisaitl to drag them there on their own. Perhaps that has been reflected in the voting.
For what it’s worth, McDavid is the favorite to win the Conn Smythe on ESPN BET, at +325, ahead of Rantanen (+350) as of Tuesday night.
1:46
Jake Oettinger: McDavid will go down as the best player of all time
Stars goaltender Jake Oettinger joins “SportsCenter” to preview Dallas’ series against Connor McDavid and the Oilers.
Making their cases
These two players received the next highest number of votes outside the top three.
It was notable that one beat writer had Oettinger first overall on their ballot, with Rantanen third. That might be a little bit of recency bias: Rantanen did most of his damage at the end of the first round and early in the second, and Oettinger was a difference-maker in all four of the Stars’ wins against Winnipeg, including Game 7, when he stopped 22 of 23 shots. As dominant as Rantanen was in Game 7 against the Avalanche in the first round, Oettinger made 25 saves and was brilliant late in that elimination game to preserve the win.
Overall, Oettinger has a .919 save percentage and a 2.47 goals-against average in 13 games for Dallas. But he has some work to do: The Stars goalie appeared on only three ballots in total, with one first- and two second-place votes.
Draisaitl is right behind McDavid in scoring with five goals and 11 assists in 11 games for the Oilers. He made the top three on four ballots, with two second-place and two third-place votes.
In his favor are two overtime goals: in Game 4 against the Los Angeles Kings in the opening round to even their series, and then in Game 2 in Las Vegas to give the Oilers a 2-0 series lead. He also had the primary assist on Kasperi Kapanen‘s series-clinching goal in Game 5 against Vegas.
Those moments more than balance one of the lowest points of Draisaitl’s postseason, when Reilly Smith of the Golden Knights scored with 0.4 left in Game 3 on a shot that deflected off of Draisaitl’s stick.
One thing to remember with Draisaitl’s MVP case is the praise he’s receiving for his two-way game. As the Oilers have become one of the best defensive teams in the postseason, posting back-to-back shutouts to end the Golden Knights, Draisaitl could get a portion of the credit.
“You often think of those guys who are putting up a lot of points, they neglect the defensive responsibilities,” Edmonton coach Kris Knoblauch said before the conference finals. “Leon has never neglected his defensive responsibilities. In fact, if I was to show clips on how to backcheck and how to work, getting above the opposition, Leon would be the leading guy on all the clips that I can find, and he’s the one who does it the best.”
On the cusp
Jaccob Slavin, Carolina Hurricanes
Andrei Svechnikov, Carolina Hurricanes
Sergei Bobrovsky, Florida Panthers
Brad Marchand, Florida Panthers
Some Panthers finally make the list! In fairness, that’s a tribute to the balance and depth that Florida has shown through two rounds. The team had 11 players with at least six points through their series win against the Leafs.
Bobrovsky didn’t have stellar numbers entering the conference final (.901 save percentage) thanks to four games in which he gave up four-plus goals. But Playoff Bob has emerged when he’s needed — like in the last four games of the Maple Leafs series and in Game 1 against Carolina, where he might have been the difference in that 5-2 win.
“I try to stay with one moment and not try not to think about the future or past,” he said after Game 1. “So it’s one moment, one save at a time. And that’s pretty much it.”
Marchand was tied for the team lead in points (12) after two rounds, and really made a statement in the MVP race with his Game 7 dagger against Toronto. He also had a critical Game 3 overtime winner after the Leafs took a 2-0 lead in the series.
Both Marchand and Bobrovsky showed up on two ballots. Bobrovsky earned one second-place vote.
Svechnikov was also on two ballots, both third-place votes. The Hurricanes winger was second in the postseason with eight goals after two rounds.
Slavin had two goals and two assists in 10 games, including the overtime winner in Game 1 against the Capitals. He has had an outstanding season, including a much-lauded performance in the 4 Nations Face-Off for Team USA. He also earned a ringing endorsement from Capitals coach Spencer Carbery after Carolina eliminated Washington. “How he’s not in the Norris Trophy conversation every single year, it doesn’t seem right,” the coach said. “He’s one heck of a player.”
Honorable mentions
Seth Jones, Florida Panthers
Eetu Luostarinen, Florida Panthers
Jones has been really strong for the Panthers, especially in their Game 7 win in Toronto. Through two rounds, Luostarinen was tied with his linemate Marchand for the team lead with 12 points, but now leads the team with 13 points after his Game 1 goal against Carolina — remarkably, his 12th point in eight road playoff games.
The NHL’s Western Conference finals matchup is set for 2025: The Dallas Stars and Edmonton Oilers are poised to square off to determine which club will represent the West in the Stanley Cup Final.
To help get you up to speed before the next round begins Wednesday on the networks of ESPN, we’re here with key intel from ESPN Research, wagering info from ESPN BET and more.
Paths to the conference finals:
Stars: Defeated Avalanche in seven, Jets in six
Oilers: Defeated Kings in six, Golden Knights in five
Schedule:
Game 1: Oilers at Stars | May 21, 8 p.m. (ESPN/ESPN+)
Game 2: Oilers at Stars | May 23, 8 p.m. (ESPN/ESPN+)
Game 3: Stars at Oilers | May 25, 3 p.m. (ABC/ESPN+)
Game 4: Stars at Oilers | May 27, 8 p.m. (ESPN/ESPN+)
Game 5: Oilers at Stars | May 29, 8 p.m. (ESPN/ESPN+)
Game 6: Stars at Oilers | May 31, 8 p.m. (ABC/ESPN+)
Game 7: Oilers at Stars | June 2, 8 p.m. (ESPN/ESPN+)
Series odds:
Oilers -120
Stars +100
Stanley Cup odds:
Oilers +250
Stars +350
Leading playoff scorers:
Stars: Mikko Rantanen (nine goals, 10 assists)
Oilers: Connor McDavid (three goals, 14 assists)
Matchup notes from ESPN Research
Oilers
The Oilers are the first Canadian team to make consecutive conference finals appearances since the Toronto Maple Leafs in 1993 and 1994. The only Canadian clubs to make consecutive appearances in the final four in the NHL’s expansion era (since 1967-68) are the Montreal Canadiens (three times), Oilers (three times) and Maple Leafs.
Edmonton advanced to the conference finals for a second straight year and for the third time in the past four postseasons, dating to 2022. The Oilers reached the conference finals in consecutive postseasons for the first time in 33 years, and fourth time in franchise history (1990-92; 1983-85; 1987-1988).
This is the 12th time in franchise history that the Oilers have reached the conference finals. The Oilers tied the Chicago Blackhawks for most final four appearances since Edmonton’s inaugural season in 1979-80.
Connor McDavid has 17 career points in 10 conference finals games, which ranks seventh in franchise history behind Wayne Gretzky (55), Mark Messier (55), Glenn Anderson (48), Jari Kurri (46), Paul Coffey (27) and Craig Simpson (18).
McDavid and Zach Hyman each have six career goals in the conference finals, which is tied with Dave Hunter for sixth in franchise history. Kurri (28), Messier (23), Anderson (21), Gretzky (14) and Simpson (11) are ahead of them.
Kris Knoblauch became the first head coach in 18 years — and seventh during the NHL’s expansion era (since 1967-68) — to reach the final four in each of his first two seasons. He joined Bob Hartley (four from 1999 to 2002), Scotty Bowman (three from 1968 to ’70), Randy Carlyle (2006, 2007), Lindy Ruff (1998, 1999), Mike Milbury (1990, 1991) and Jean Perron (1986, 1987).
Stars
The Stars advance to their third straight conference finals. They join the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2020-22, Chicago Blackhawks in 2013-15, Los Angeles Kings in 2012-14 and Detroit Red Wings from 2007-09 as the only teams in the salary cap era (since 2005-06) to make it to three straight conference finals.
Stars coach Peter DeBoer now is going to his eighth conference finals/Stanley Cup semifinals in his coaching career, which breaks a tie with Fred Shero for third among coaches in the expansion era (since 1967-68) and trailing only Scotty Bowman (16) and Al Arbour (11).
DeBoer is the fourth coach in the expansion era to reach the conference finals/Stanley Cup semifinals in each of their first three seasons with a team, joining Darryl Sutter with the Kings (2012-14), Bob Hartley with the Colorado Avalanche (1999-2001) and Scotty Bowman with the St. Louis Blues (1968-70).
The Stars won two of three games against the Oilers in the regular season, outscoring them 12-9. Jason Robertson (four goals, two assists) and Roope Hintz (goal, five assists) led the Stars with six points in those games.
Mikko Rantanen begins this series as the playoff leader in goals (nine) and points (19) through 13 games. That’s the most goals in a single postseason in his career, and he’s on pace to shatter his single-playoff points high of 25, set in the Avalanche’s 20-game run to the Cup in 2022.
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