It's always memorable when the Tampa Bay Lightning and Florida Panthers get together. There was a time when hockey in Florida was glossed over, but that's no longer the case. Over the past decade the two teams have built winning cultures, fueling their in-season matchups. The Battle of Florida has grown over the years to become one of the most intense rivalries in the NHL.
Two players who have been at the forefront are Tampa Bay’s Brandon Hagel and Florida’s Matthew Tkachuk. The two have had their fair share of exchanges, making their matchups some of the more entertaining to watch.
Last week, Hagel appeared on the Cam & Strick Podcast and was asked about Tkachuk and the rivalry with Florida.
"I don't know him personally at all, to be honest,” said Hagel. “We kind of just went at it, and I'm sure he goes at it with a lot of guys.”
The two famously dropped the gloves after the opening face-off at the NHL’s 4 Nations Face-Off, with Hagel representing Canada and Tkachuk playing for Team USA.
“I thought he was tough, to be honest,” said Hagel. “When he asked me at the 4 Nations, I was like, 'Oh boy, I've never squared up in my life, like ever, and now I'm doing it on the biggest stage.’ My heart was just like, 'All right, here we go.’ When you're in the thick of things, and obviously fighting him then and fighting him again, it's kind of one of those things that I'll do it whenever.”
The two Florida teams will meet twice in the preseason, starting on September 24 and continuing on September 26. Last year’s matchups got a bit heated, and that intensity is expected to carry over into this season.
They’ll face off for the first time in the regular season on November 28 at Amerant Bank Arena.
