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Matthew Tkachuk Seen Inside Prison Cell With Stanley Cup in Unexpected Moment

Originally posted on Hockey Latest | By Daniel Lucente | Last updated Jul 21, 2025 3:57 PM ET

In an unexpected but hilarious moment, Florida Panthers star forward and champion Matthew Tkachuk was seen in a prison cell with the Stanley Cup.

Florida Panthers forward Matthew Tkachuk spent Monday with the Stanley Cup, relishing the time he got to spend with the trophy.

For the second year in a row, he visited a St. Louis children's hospital, making everyone smile and taking the time to connect with the children.

Matthew Tkachuk was in a prison cell with the Cup, but it was all in good fun

He also visited the Brentwood Police Department, where he had a good time sitting in one of the cells for a photo, his first real time 'behind bars.'

A physical player that he is, Matthew Tkachuk is no stranger to the penalty box, having accumulated over 100 penalty minutes two times in his NHL career.

This offseason, he is recovering from a sports hernia and a serious tear to one of the adductor muscles. After the Panthers won the Stanley Cup, he approximated a 50% chance that he would need surgery to repair the damage.

Simultaneously, Panthers GM Bill Zito is also tasked with trimming around $4 million from the team's salary cap. Placing Tkachuk on long-term injured reserve at the start of the season would allow for $9.5 million in the immediate short term to be freed up.

Another path being investigated is the making of trades to stay under the cap. The front office is looking at all that is necessary to be fiscally in step.

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

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