Episode 6: “The Rat Kings”
Players featured: Matthew Tkachuk, Brad Marchand and the Florida Panthers
Episode synopsis: After Tkachuk’s injury during the 2025 4 Nations Face-Off, the team had to overcome a slew of challenges to force a rematch with the Edmonton Oilers in the Stanley Cup Final. To help booster the roster, the Panthers brought in former Boston Bruins captain Brad Marchand to push the team into the playoffs, and beyond.
Funniest moment: With Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce in attendance for Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final at Amerant Bank Arena, Tkachuk’s mom, Chantal, turns to his dad, Keith, and says, “We’re on Taylor Swift watch.” Keith’s response? “I guess I’m the only one here to watch my son play.”
Moving moments: During the first intermission of Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final, Oilers forward Corey Perry gave a fiery speech to the team after going down 3-0 to the Panthers. In the next period, the team scored three unanswered goals to tie the game and eventually force overtime. In the extra period, Leon Draisaitl scored for the Oilers to win the game and tie the series.
Quotable: After winning his second consecutive Stanley Cup, Tkachuk compared the feeling of winning the second one to the feeling of winning the first trophy. “I think it was better because of what I had to go through to get to that moment, personally, with the injuries,” Tkachuk said. “It was a grind, it really was. So for me to be in that situation to lift that Cup in the end, it was different. It was more special. So I was just holding it up as much as I could before the arms got tired. You think of the people that have been a part of your life, that have been a part of your journey. There’s not one person in the NHL that got there by themselves. So everyone along the way, it’s almost like this is for you. This is your moment.”
This is Hockey Life: One of the biggest moves in the NHL last year came when the Panthers brought in Marchand from the Bruins, where he had spent the first 16 seasons of his career and served as captain. Early in the episode, Marchand talks about the challenges of making such a significant shift. “It was stressful. Very stressful for my family,” Marchand said. “I would’ve loved to have been part of the Bruins for my entire career. I thought I’d be a Bruin for life, that’s kind of how I dreamt it up.”
Hockey Players, They're Just Like Us: After Zach Hyman’s injury, the Oilers forward got to spend some valuable time at home with his wife and kids. He acknowledges that the busy travel schedule that comes with being a hockey player makes it more difficult to get that quality family time, and showed appreciation for his wife, Alannah Mozes, for taking care of him on his road to recovery. “My wife was my nurse for a week,” Hyman said. “We have three boys, she was taking care of her fourth boy, which is me.”
