Photo credit: Hockeypatrol

Florida Panthers forward Matthew Tkachuk gave a shoutout to his fans with the Flames after he helped defeat the Edmonton Oilers in game seven of the Stanley Cup final tonight.

Tkachuk was obviously elated to hoist the Stanley Cup for the first time in his career. He became the first member of his family to do so, with the Brother Brady not having the chance with the Senators yet and his father never winning, despite a lengthy and successful career.

During his interview he recognized the time he spent with the Calgary Flames, giving a nod to their fans after taking out their biggest rivals, the Oilers, in the finals.

Tkachuk: «Shoutout to my fans in Calgary, you know I couldn’t let Edmonton win.

He also was asked how it felt to win the Stanley Cup, a classic question that should be in every interview after a cup-clinching game. The 26-year-old seemed to only fully realize what had happened at that moment. The reality set in as he realized he wasn’t a kid dreaming about this exact moment anymore.

“It’s not a dream, it’s reality”

MATTHEW TKACHUK IS A STANLEY CUP CHAMPION 🔥

The full interview with Tkachuk can be seen in the post below.

Unfortunately for the Oilers, their miraculous comeback came to an end tonight as Connor McDavid was held off the scoresheet. Panthers fans must feel relieved that they avoided the dreadful reverse sweep while much of Canada, and especially Edmonton is in pure agony. Be sure to stay tuned for more coverage of the fallout from the Stanley Cup finals.