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Jake Guentzel Exposes Matthew Tkachuk's Unsportsmanlike True Colours in New Interview

Originally posted on House of Hockey | By Tom Banks | Last updated Aug 20, 2025 1:36 PM ET

Matthew Tkachuk laid out Jake Guentzel in the playoffs, and now the Lightning star has exposed Tkachuk's lack of sportsmanship in his latest interview.

The 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs were full of intensity, fierce battles and major collisions, all of which were staples of the Battle of Florida that saw the Panthers take down the Lightning in five games.

During that series though, there was a few plays in particular that drew the ire of fans, with dirty hits from Brandon Hagel and Matthew Tkachuk in particular highlighting how personal this series was.

The hit from Tkachuk wasn't the most brutal one we've seen, but given how late it was and how the game was all but over at that point, it brought out anger in many fans on social media.

Matthew Tkachuk Showed No Remorse Over Nasty Late Hit on Jake Guentzel

Now, Guentzel has addressed the late hit from Tkachuk that defined this series during his appearance on the Cam and Strick Podcast, noting that he didn't get a text from his USA teammate after the incident.

The Lightning veteran was in great spirits however and didn't seem mad at Tkachuk, with all players knowing that in the post-season, everything is left on the ice and nothing is truly personal.

The surprising bit however is that these two played together for Team USA and will do so again, with many believing that even though the hit wasn't the worst one of the series, the Panthers star would at least text his teammate about the play.

Ultimately though, this just feeds into the rivalry growing between two very successful teams in Florida, and even though these two are teammates on the international stage, they'll continue to be fierce rivals in the NHL.

This article first appeared on House of Hockey and was syndicated with permission.

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