Latvia celebrates their historic bronze at the Worlds, Matthew Tkachuk joined the NBA on TNT panel, and Panthers fans celebrated their return to the Stanley Cup final.
The last full week of May saw stories from the IIHF men's World Championship and NHL take center stage. Without further ado, let's get into some of them to start the week off right:
Latvia Celebrates
Latvia won the bronze medal at the World Championship on Sunday, and it is a huge deal.
On Monday in Riga, thousands showed up to the Freedom Monument to celebrate the nation's first medal win at the tournament.
To say the nation was overjoyed would be an understatement, as the Latvian government declared Monday a national holiday.
Check out the scene when Kristian Rubins of the Calgary Flames organization ran up to meet the thousands of jubilant fans. What an amazing moment.
Matthew Tkachuk Appears on the NBA on TNT Panel
With the NHL on TNT, the amount of hockey talk has naturally increased on Turner networks, especially with noted hockey fan and NBA legend Charles Barkley being a massive hockey fan.
This past weekend, Florida Panthers star Matthew Tkachuk joined the NBA on TNT panel before Game 5 of the Eastern Conference final matchup between the Boston Celtics and the Miami Heat.
The segment was fun to watch, with Tkachuk fielding questions from Barkley, Kenny Smith, Ernie Johnson and Shaquille O'Neal. Barkley also hilariously wished the program would only give him a two-minute penalty to knock out Shaq.
How much fun would it be if Tkachuk makes another appearance on the show during the Stanley Cup final? That's if the Miami Heat wins Game 7 on Monday night after blowing a 3-0 series lead to the Celtics.
Florida Panthers Fans Couldn't Contain Their Excitement
Matthew Tkachuk's series-winning goal sent the Panthers to their first Stanley Cup final since 1996. The goal not only set off mass celebrations on the ice at FLA Live Arena, but fans at home and all around were also full of jubilation. From fans watching in dorm rooms to 2023 PGA champion Brooks Koepka cheering in the stands, the Panthers' fan base let their emotions be known at the end of Game 4.
Hockey fandom in Florida has been having quite a moment over these past few seasons, and it is so much fun to see.