Atlantic Division wins 2023 NHL All-Star Game, Matthew Tkachuk takes home MVP in Sunrise

SUNRISE – The 2023 NHL All-Star weekend came to an end on Saturday night in South Florida, with the host team fans going home happy in more ways than one.

The championship game saw the Atlantic Division, represented by Florida Panthers’ stars Aleksander Barkov and Matthew Tkachuk, take on the Central Division All-Stars.

In the final, catalyzed by a Matthew Tkachuk goal 37 seconds into the game, the Atlantic stormed to a four-goal lead. They’d be able to hold onto their big cushion, defeating the Central 7-5 to take home the win and the $1 million bonus.

It was the first time the Atlantic won the All-Star game since the NHL moved to the 3-on-3 divisional format in 2016. 

Florida’s Matthew Tkachuk led all skaters with seven points across the two games. His efforts were more than enough to win All-Star game MVP.

During the pair of games, Tkachuk played on a line with Barkov and his brother Brady. 

“Getting to play with Barky and getting to play with Brady, it was just fun from the start,” said Tkachuk. “We had an unreal time… I really, really enjoyed it (All-Star weekend).” 

The Tkachuk brothers have never played together in a competitive environment before Saturday’s game. With the newest honorary Tkachuk brother Aleksander Barkov on their line, the trio combined for 16 points on the night.

“It was actually fun, I wasn’t expecting that,” Barkov said about playing with the two brothers. “[They are] two great guys, off-ice especially and on the ice we had a lot of fun. You never felt like you had any nerves because you were having fun and enjoying every second.” 

The weekend as a whole was a success for South Florida. The All-Star game was a sellout, with 19,250 fans in attendance. The league also brought in a record 7,000 guests during the week, according to NHL commissioner Gary Bettman.

Bettman said on Saturday that the estimated economic revenue from the weekend for South Florida is in the $25-$30 million range. 

Florida Panthers CEO Matthew Caldwell was more than satisfied with the way the events turned out over the week.

“I know Toronto’s got it next year but let’s get it back,” Caldwell chuckled. “ We love throwing events like this… as soon as Vinny [Viola] bought the team we’ve been trying to get an All-Star game.”

The NHL will return to action on Monday night, with the Panthers and Lightning starting it off in another edition of the Battle of Florida in Sunrise.