The Matthew Tkachuk trade could not have turned out better for the Florida Panthers or the NHL, writes Rachel Doerrie.
Florida and Vegas making the Stanley Cup final has been a dream come true in terms of growing the game.
An underdog story in the Florida Panthers, with an acquired superstar appearing on NBA on TNT broadcasts? If you would have told me that six months ago, I would have checked to make sure you weren’t hallucinating. But it’s true, and the Matthew Tkachuk trade could not have turned out better for the Panthers or the NHL.
Matthew Tkachuk, kudos to him, gave Calgary ample time to trade him because he was not extending. While that must have been a tough pill to swallow, Calgary got a top-line forward, a top-pair defenseman and two future pieces. Florida gave up serious value in the deal. But to get something, you must give up something. Calgary and Florida gave up a lot in the trade, and Florida has reaped immediate benefits.
Tampa playing in three straight Stanley Cup finals and winning two did a lot to grow the fan base. Florida going on an improbable run that required Pittsburgh to lose games they shouldn’t have, everyone on the Bruins getting hurt, stupendous goaltending and timely goal-scoring from their superstar, has turned the FLA Live Arena into a raucous atmosphere. For years, the Panthers arena has been below average in attendance or filled with fans of opposing teams. Now, as the calendar turns to June, their arena is packed with fans in red jerseys, screaming, cheering and throwing rats.
It doesn’t hurt that NBA star Jimmy Butler, whose Miami Heat are in the NBA finals, was seen wearing Tkachuk’s jersey, either.
Between Butler wearing a Panthers jersey and Tkachuk appearing on the NBA on TNT panel, this run has done wonders for hockey. Sports fans who would never know Tkachuk existed were exposed to him. The NBA has a different demographic of fans and leads the way in terms of marketing its athletes. This run has opened a gateway to an entirely new demographic of fans in Florida and the United States. It’s not insignificant that Tkachuk was on the best sporting panel going, chirping and laughing with Charles Barkley, Shaq, Kenny and Ernie. That matters.
It matters that Tkachuk has a personality that connects with others. It matters that he’s a top-10 player in the NHL with the personality to match. It matters that PGA Champion Brooks Koepka is interested in the Panthers. Heck, he let Brady Tkachuk chug a beer out of his trophy. The Florida Panthers have created viral moments outside of hockey for the right reasons.
Too often, when hockey is discussed on flagship U.S. broadcasts, it is because a team is mistreating a coach, a sexual assault was covered up or a lockout is happening. For the first time in what feels like forever, hockey has become a topic of conversation for the right reasons. Matthew Tkachuk has changed that. He’s become the center of attention for casual fans to latch on to. Would you look at that? It hasn’t affected his play, it hasn’t been a distraction, and it hasn’t harmed his team. It has done the exact opposite.
The “too selfish to win” trope that follows players has proven to be total nonsense. Auston Matthews and Elias Pettersson have been criticized for doing various magazine and promotional material as if that somehow impacts their on-ice play. Matthews has won a league MVP, and Pettersson is one of the best young stars in the league.
Compare that to Lionel Messi, Tom Brady and Michael Jordan, three of the best team sport athletes in history. All of them have been marketed above their teams, were the center of attention for their entire careers and dominated headlines. Shockingly, all of them managed to be considered the greatest athletes in their respective sports, team players and incredible leaders.
Michael Jordan and Tom Brady were known to be cocky, too. In hockey, that kind of thing gets you labelled as unfocused, a bad guy or someone you can’t win with. Yet, time and again, every other team sport proves that narrative to be false.
Now, Matthew Tkachuk is proving that narrative false in hockey. The NHL and the executives within the league should take note of the positive impact this is having on the game. Ratings will be better, merchandise sales will increase, and interest in the sport will rise, too. That means more money for the NHL. Marketing athletes, encouraging them to show their personalities and participate in initiatives that grow their personal brands are important to growing interest in the game. Casual fans don’t have an attachment to teams – they have an interest in players.
Take it from me. I’m not a basketball fan, but I love watching the likes of Steph Curry, Jamal Murray, Nikola Jokic, LeBron James and Luka Doncic. Why? Because I know a lot about them. They are marketed by their teams and the NBA. I bet the same thing is happening with casual fans and Matthew Tkachuk.
So, let this be a lesson to everyone in hockey. Marketing your stars, having them connect with fans and be an engaging person is a good thing. It doesn’t make you selfish, uncompetitive or a bad guy. It makes you personable, marketable and worthy of interest. That’s the key to gaining new fans, and now, the NHL has a blueprint of its own to work off of.