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Panthers' Matthew Tkachuk Recreates Iconic Photo With Jason Tatum

Florida Panthers star Matthew Tkachuk reunited with his close childhood friend in his old stomping grounds of St. Louis.

Jon Alfano

Aug 18, 2024; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; Florida Panthers right wing Matthew Tkachuk and Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum greet each other after throwing out a ceremonial first pitch prior to a game between the St. Louis Cardinals and the Los Angeles Dodgers Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Puetz-USA TODAY Sports
Aug 18, 2024; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; Florida Panthers right wing Matthew Tkachuk and Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum greet each other after throwing out a ceremonial first pitch prior to a game between the St. Louis Cardinals and the Los Angeles Dodgers Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Puetz-USA TODAY Sports / Joe Puetz-USA TODAY Sports
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Throughout their respective championship runs, Florida Panthers forward Matthew Tkachuk and Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum were cheering each other on all the way.

The two were childhood friends while attending Chamindae College Preparatory School, an independent Catholic school for boys in grades 6-12 in St. Louis. Tkachuk left after ninth grade to join the United States National Development Program, while Tatum graduated in 2016 and had his No. 22 jersey retired by the school's basketball team. Still, the two remain very close to this day, and were thrilled to see each other win titles less than a week apart.

“Yeah it’s actually really cool when you think about it," Tkachuk said at Stanley Cup Final Media Day in June, per NHL.com. "Everyone from St. Louis, whether they were going to watch or not, with having both of us in, I’d say there’s a lot of people, especially the kids we grew up with and families and people who know us, they’re pulling for both teams. It’s super cool to have that support back home for not only myself, but for the Celtics as well."

On Sunday, the two reunited in their old stomping grounds of St. Louis, presumably their first time since becoming champions in June. The two threw out the ceremonial first pitch before Sunday's St. Louis Cardinals game, and took the chance to recreate the iconic photo of them together on the school bus. They even got their classmate Jacob, who was in the background of the original photo, in on the fun as well.

Tatum came with the Larry O'Brien Trophy, though Tkachuk did not have the Stanley Cup as he previously brought it to St. Louis last month. Instead, Tkachuk brought his iconic championship belt that he rocked during the Panthers' Stanley Cup parade.

It's worth noting that Tkachuk wasn't actually born in St. Louis, but rather in Scottsdale, Arizona while his father Keith Tkachuk was playing for the Phoenix Coyotes in 1997. However, he moved to The Gateway City after his dad was traded to the St. Louis Blues in 2001 and spent most of his childhood there.

Since his arrival in a blockbuster 2022 trade, Tkachuk has helped completely transform the Panthers franchise. A team that once struggled in the postseason is now coming off back-to-back Stanley Cup Finals appearances and the first championship in franchise history, largely due to Tkachuk's incredible performance on the ice and leadership off of it.

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Jon Alfano
JON ALFANO

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