Sunrise, Fla. – The Florida Panthers and the U.S. Air Force Aviation Demonstration Squadron announced today that forward Matthew Tkachuk will serve as a civilian passenger in the back seat of a Thunderbirds F-16 Fighting Falcon in support of the Fort Lauderdale Air Show on Friday, May 8, as part of the Air Force’s Hometown Heroes program. He will fly with Thunderbird 7’s Lt. Col. Tyler “Lars” Keener and experienced fighter pilots during a practice flight on May 8, prior to the air show’s public performance on Saturday, May 9 and Sunday, May 10 at Fort Lauderdale Beach.
Since being acquired by the Florida Panthers ahead of the 2022-23 season, Tkachuk has led the Cats to three consecutive Stanley Cup Finals appearances, including back-to-back titles the past two seasons. A finalist for the Hart Trophy, given to the NHL’s most valuable player, in 2022-23, Tkachuk has 288 points in 242 regular season games with Florida (101-187-288) and 69 points in the past three postseasons (25-44-69). He led or tied for the team lead in scoring in the last three playoff games against the Panthers and scored the Stanley Cup winning goal in Game 6 of the 2025 Stanley Cup Finals vs. Edmonton at Amerant Bank Arena.
On the international stage, Tkachuk has represented the United States in several competitions, most recently serving as an alternate captain for the United States at the 2026 Winter Olympics, which brought the United States its first gold medal since 1980. At the 2016 IIHF U20 World Junior Championship, he won a bronze medal with the U.S. team, leading the team with 11 points (4-7-11) out of seven games in the tournament, and winning the gold medal at the tournament. At the 2015 IIHF U18 World Junior Championship, he tied for the tournament lead with 10 assists (2-10-12) in seven games. He also won the gold medal at the 2014 U17 World Hockey Challenge, scoring 7 points in 6 games (4-3-7).
About the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds
The U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds are an elite team of 135 individuals representing 31 different career fields who perform in their signature red, white and blue F-16s in more than 30 locations each year, demonstrating the precision, professionalism and global readiness of the U.S. Air Force and inspiring future generations.
