Three months after insulting the Tkachuk brothers, the Panthers traded him

Mathis Therrien
Three months after insulting the Tkachuk brothers, the Panthers traded him
Credit: Getty

A few months ago, the Olympic Games were in full swing in Milan, Italy, and we were, of course, closely following the men's hockey tournament.

Unfortunately, what we remember most is Canada's loss to the United States in the gold medal game—a defeat that still lingers today.

However, another story from the Olympics also seems to have left its mark.

In fact, comments made by a player at the Olympics have recently had a significant impact on the rest of his professional career.

Oliver Okuliar, a 26-year-old Slovak forward who played for the Florida Panthers, had insulted the Tkachuk brothers at the Olympics after facing the United States.

He claimed that the Tkachuk brothers were real pieces of shit and trash, adding that they weren't even good hockey players.

Those were some pretty strong words, especially directed at a potential teammate, Matthew Tkachuk, on the Panthers.

Well, a little over three months later, Oliver Okuliar has just been traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Yes, you heard that right: three months after insulting the Tkachuk brothers—Matthew Tkachuk being an assistant captain for the Florida Panthers—Okuliar is being sent elsewhere.

 

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In return, the Panthers acquired 21-year-old defenseman Emil Pieniniemi, a third-round pick from the Penguins in 2023.

So it's quite a funny story, even if, in the end, we don't know if the comments actually prompted this trade involving Okuliar—though it wouldn't surprise me, knowing the Panthers and Matthew Tkachuk.

In any case, Okuliar won't have to play with that “piece of trash” Tkachuk, but let's just say we'd all love to see the 26-year-old Slovak make it to the NHL and face off against the Tkachuk brothers.

That would make for a great matchup.


In a Flash

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