Matthew Tkachuk reignites rivalry with Leon Draisaitl after harsh Olympic trash talk
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Tyler Ball
Feb 15, 2026 (5:11 PM)
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Photo credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images
This afternoon, Panthers forward Matthew Tkachuk reignited his rivalry with Leon Draisaitl during Team USA’s game against Germany.
The Florida Panthers and Edmonton Oilers have a deep rivalry dating back multiple years, including back-to-back meetings in the Stanley Cup Finals.
In both cases, Tkachuk and the Panthers bested Draisaitl and the Oilers, taking home the Stanley Cup.
Today, Draisaitl and Tkachuk met on the next biggest stage at the Olympics as the United States took on Germany.
During the game, Tkachuk was caught trash-talking Draisaitl about his inability to come out on top when the two meet.
Matthew Tkachuk reignites rivalry with Leon Draisaitl at the Olympics
During the game, the microphone between benches caught Tkachuk chirping Draisaitl for his struggles to come out on top both with the Oilers and Germany.
Always the bridesmaid eh Leon? Always the bridesmaid, never the bride.
Team USA currently leads over Germany 5-0 in the third period, doubling the Germans in shots, utterly dominating the latest meeting between Tkachuk and Draisaitl.
It seems that without a miracle for Draisaitl that Tkachuk will once again have his number and come out on top in what seems to be a personal rivalry between the two superstars.
If Team USA win they will head straight to the quarterfinals while Germany will have to battle for their spot in a qualification round.
As the tournament goes on, it will be interesting to see if their paths cross again or if Draisaitl will have to wait for a rematch with the Oilers against the Panthers to get his revenge.
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FEVRIER 15|258 ANSWERS Matthew Tkachuk reignites rivalry with Leon Draisaitl after harsh Olympic trash talk Do you consider the Panthers and Oilers rivals? | ||
| Yes | 157 | 60.9 % |
| No | 101 | 39.1 % |
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