ST. LOUIS – Florida Panthers star Matthew Tkachuk brought the Stanley Cup to his hometown of St. Louis, sharing the excitement with kids Thursday at St. Louis Children’s Hospital.
Tkachuk spent his morning meeting many kids at the hospital and taking pictures with them and the Stanley Cup.
A first-time Stanley Cup champion at age 26, Tkachuk says his mission in St. Louis is to spread the winning spirit, especially with children.
“It’s super special,” said Tkachuk. “It’s really nothing like seeing kids that might not be fortunate as I am to be able to play hockey and compete for this and that might be dealing with stuff. I have no idea what that is like, so they are really inspirational.”
“Seeing the reaction is priceless to me,” said Tkachuk. “That’s the most important thing.”
While visiting St. Louis, Tkachuk also had the opportunity to bring the Stanley Cup trophy to one of his favorite restaurants Wednesday: Local Italian eatery Grassi’s Ristorante.
Tkachuk and his brother Brady were heavily involved in local junior hockey programs around St. Louis as kids. They are also the sons of former Blues great Keith Tkachuk.
His special celebration with the Cup comes less than a month after the Panthers won their first Stanley Cup title in franchise history, defeating the Edmonton Oilers in seven games for the championship.
