WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Florida Panthers star Matthew Tkachuk is heading to Switzerland to chase hockey history.
The Panthers forward joined Team USA on Wednesday for the International Ice Hockey Federation World Championship, where he's hoping to complete a rare achievement known as the "triple gold."
What's triple gold? It's when a hockey player wins all three of hockey's biggest prizes: the Stanley Cup, Olympic Gold Medal, and World Championship. Only a handful of players have ever done it.
Tkachuk is already a two-time Stanley Cup champion with the Panthers and won Olympic gold with Team USA. The World Championship is the final piece of the puzzle. Team USA won the championship last year for the first time in 92 years, so there's pressure to repeat.
Team USA is 2-2 in group play after Tkachuk missed the first four games. They face Germany at 2:20 p.m. on Wednesday, with the top four teams from each group advancing to the quarterfinals.
Tkachuk isn't the only Panther competing. Aleksander Barkov and Anton Lundell are playing for Finland, Sandis Vilmanis represents Latvia, and defenseman Marek Alscher is with Czechia.
As the Florida Panthers chase a third Stanley Cup championship this season, WPTV is along for the ride!
We will be highlighting the team with our new show on South Florida's 9 called "Panthers 360".
Hosted by WPTV anchor Mike Trim, watch the show each Wednesday evening and also streaming at 7:30 p.m.
We will take an in-depth look at the season, break down film and connect with the players and special stories off the ice.
Every Monday at 12:15 p.m. on the WPTV YouTube page, Trim will be joined by different analysts to discuss the latest on the team. We want to hear your thoughts, so post your questions and comments while the live interview takes place!
South Florida's 9 is your home for Panthers hockey all season long!
