Matthew Tkachuk aims for Triple Gold Club glory (Image via Daniel Lea/Lea Photo)(Image via IMAGO / ZUMA Press Wire)
Matthew Tkachuk aims for Triple Gold Club glory (Image via Daniel Lea/Lea Photo)(Image via IMAGO / ZUMA Press Wire)
Glory beckons and so does history. After achieving Olympic success with Team USA, Matthew Tkachuk aims to join a very special group in hockey — the Triple Gold Club.
As the name suggests, the club includes players who have won three of the sport’s biggest prizes: the Stanley Cup, a World Championship title, and Olympic gold. It currently features 30 names from various nations, including Canada, Sweden, Russia, Czechia, and Finland.
The Florida Panthers star is gearing up for the 2026 IIHF World Championships, where a victory would cement him as the first U.S.-born player to join the pantheon.
Tkachuk is already a two-time Stanley Cup winner with the Panthers and won Olympic gold with the US in February – their first since 1980. With only a World Championship missing from his cabinet, the 28-year-old has his eyes set on Switzerland. Notably, this will be his first appearance at the IIHF Worlds.
February 22, 2026: Matthew Tkachuk 19 of the United States reacts to a check during the Mens Ice hockey, Eishockey Gold Medal game between Canada and USA held at Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena during the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Games, Olympische Spiele, Olympia, OS in Milan, Italy. MilanoCortina2026 Milan Italy - ZUMAc04_ 20260222_zma_c04_182 Copyright: xDanielxLeax
February 22, 2026: Matthew Tkachuk 19 of the United States reacts to a check during the Mens Ice hockey, Eishockey Gold Medal game between Canada and USA held at Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena during the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Games, Olympische Spiele, Olympia, OS in Milan, Italy. MilanoCortina2026 Milan Italy - ZUMAc04_ 20260222_zma_c04_182 Copyright: xDanielxLeax
Tkachuk, however, isn’t short on confidence when asked about Team USA’s chances of winning.
"I sure as h*** hope so. I'm not going over there for a vacation," he shared on ESPN’S The Pat McAfee Show. “I think it's just such an honor to wear the USA jersey.”
Tkachuk’s membership at the Triple Gold Club would also allow him to stand with a special set of active NHL players. Only three players currently feature in the club, all of whom are Canadian: Tampa Bay Lightning’s Corey Perry, Pittsburgh Penguins’ Sidney Crosby, and Winnipeg Jets’ Jonathan Toews.
Winning in Switzerland is special for another reason. Team USA marched onto a World Championship title in 2025, their first in 92 years. Their previous triumph came in 1933.
With a victory this year, Tkachuk and co. could cement the US as back-to-back champions. Thankfully, he is no stranger to the challenge, having clinched consecutive titles with the Panthers in 2024 and 2025.
While he has already tasted international success in Milan, Tkachuk has no plans to rest on his laurels.
“I still have that feeling like I had representing [the United States] in Milan,” he stated. “I’ll try to bring another championship back to the United States.”
Could Tkachuk redeem NHL season woes with international success?
Besides pushing Team USA to another title, Tkachuk might aim to put an underwhelming season with the Panthers behind him. After two title-winning campaigns, the Florida Panthers finished seventh in the division and missed the playoffs for the first time since the 2018-19 season.
They also became the first defending champions to miss the postseason since the Los Angeles Kings in 2015.
That said, missing the playoffs could prove fruitful for Tkachuk. The IIHF Worlds are held alongside the Stanley Cup playoffs, meaning players involved in postseason runs cannot enter the competition.
With the Panthers having endured an injury-riddled 2025-26 season, Tkachuk’s only chance of silverware rests with Team USA.
Victory would bring him sporting immortality in more ways than one, but can he do it?
Written by
Sijo Paul
Edited by
Suyashdeep Sason