Hot mic captures Matthew Tkachuk's taunt of Leon Draisaitl: 'Always the bridesmaid'
MILAN — Leon Draisaitl is among the four or five best hockey players on the planet. And if there’s one thing Matthew Tkachuk has learned, it’s to throw everything he has at him. Including words.
The last two NHL seasons have ended with Tkachuk’s Florida Panthers defeating Draisaitl’s Edmonton Oilers in the Stanley Cup Final. And with the United States leading Germany in the second period of Sunday night’s group-stage finale at Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena, the television broadcast picked up Tkachuk offering his rival a helpful reminder.
"Always the bridesmaid, eh, Leon?" he said as the two skated near the benches. "Always the bridesmaid, never the bride."
After the Americans’ 5-1 victory, Tkachuk was asked about the taunt.
"It’s always a challenge," he said of playing Draisaitl. "Our teams have some history. And (it’s) always fun playing him."
Tkachuk, with his linemates Brady Tkachuk and Jack Eichel, were matched up against Draisaitl’s line for much of the night. Matthew finished the game with two assists, while Draisaitl was held off the scoresheet.
Tkachuk, whose mouth often rivals his play, said his hot-mic moment wasn’t necessarily typical of the players’ rivalry.
"I wouldn’t say so," he said. "Some guys, you’ve got to play harder than most physically, and maybe after the whistle sometimes, too. I thought our line, I thought (Eichel) especially did an unbelievable job of giving him and their line nothing tonight. Sometimes you’ve got to play both parts of the game. I thought mainly (Eichel) did a great job, (between) the whistles, of playing him hard."
And after the whistles, well, that’s the Tkachuk brothers’ specialty.
Draisaitl, whose German squad finished group play 1-2 and will face France in the qualification round on Tuesday (with the winner getting No. 3 seed Slovakia), did not stop to talk with reporters in the mixed zone.
Feb 16, 2026
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