theathleticuk
SUNRISE, Fla. — During the third period of Saturday night's game, a fiery altercation unfolded involving the Tkachuk brothers, Brady and Matthew, and Minnesota Wild players Joel Eriksson Ek and Matt Boldy. The two Tkachuks were engaged in a heated exchange with Eriksson Ek, with Boldy positioned nearby, when Boldy eventually joined the fray, directing words at the Tkachuk siblings.
Boldy, a standout for the Wild, shares a close friendship with Brady and Matthew, forged through their time together winning Olympic gold and participating in a celebrity golf pro-am in Lake Tahoe over the summer. Matthew Tkachuk remarked on Friday to The Athletic, "I've gotten to be very close with Bolds at the 4 Nations and the Olympics. It's funny, I didn't know him or Brock Faber at all before the 4 Nations. Really, really enjoyed getting to know them, and then hung out with them obviously more at the Olympics. And then icing on the cake with Bolds this summer. Spent pretty much a week next to each other the whole time. He's an unbelievable guy, and we honestly had more fun than you could ever imagine. Leave the hockey part out of it — what an unbelievable teammate on the ice, and just an incredible guy to hang out with off the ice."
However, when the game was on the line, Boldy's allegiance was clear. Late in the Wild's 4-1 triumph, Kirill Kaprizov was on the receiving end of a combined check from Brady Tkachuk. Eriksson Ek swiftly retaliated against Brady, drawing Matthew into the confrontation. Boldy, seeing the situation, stepped in without hesitation to intercept Matthew during the ensuing scrum. "I think everyone in this locker room would do it. Doesn't matter who it is," Boldy stated. "It's a sign of a good team, a team that cares about each other. And I know if the roles were reversed, Ekky's doing the exact same thing."
The scene was particularly entertaining when Boldy, Eriksson Ek, and both Tkachuk brothers ended up together in the penalty box. Given the strong personalities involved, the verbal jabs exchanged behind the glass were likely intense. "I'm used to Ekky getting a little grumpy, and I've heard those two talk a lot, too," Boldy said with a smile. "So it's a weird situation. Stick with Ekky as much as I can for sure. But I don't know. It is what it is. It's hockey."
Following the game, Eriksson Ek was humorously pedaling a bike in the hallway as Boldy and Brady Tkachuk reunited, sharing a warm embrace. The Tkachuk brothers have built reputations as two of the NHL's most skilled agitators, capable of dominating on the scoreboard and frustrating opponents between whistles. Eriksson Ek, meanwhile, is a master of the scrum himself, known for his willingness to engage in tough areas and never back down. Placing Eriksson Ek and the Tkachuks in the penalty box simultaneously, with Boldy in the mix, made for a moment that would have been fascinating to overhear.
Wild coach John Hynes expressed a desire to know what was said during the exchange. "I could only imagine what was going on, especially with those guys," Hynes commented. "Boldy's sitting there, and then Ekky on top of it. He likes to get into it. And then two Tkachuk brothers. So maybe there was a hot mic. We can find out."
The incident was especially noteworthy due to Boldy's off-ice friendship with the Tkachuks, but there was no favoritism shown as the Wild aimed to protect a lead and end a challenging road trip positively. The confrontation also underscored Hynes's emphasis on competitiveness and playing for one another. After a tough loss in Tampa Bay, Hynes sought a faster, more cohesive effort against the Panthers, and he got it, along with a stellar performance from the reunited top line of Kaprizov, Eriksson Ek, and Boldy. Kaprizov notched his seventh career regular-season hat trick and an assist, Boldy scored his first goal of the season and added an assist, and Eriksson Ek contributed an assist.
Hynes was equally impressed with his stars' competitive drive as their offensive output. "I thought they were very good tonight," Hynes said. "They led the way in their effort, their details and how they played. Obviously, they executed on the score sheet, five-on-five and on the special teams. But I really liked the style of game that they all played individually, collectively as a line. And I think when they do that, that's what being leaders of a team do. When you play the game that way, I think it feeds throughout the group."
That competitiveness was evident in the late-game scrum, and Hynes was not surprised by Eriksson Ek's defense of Kaprizov or Boldy's willingness to engage with friends. "That's what makes those guys," Hynes said. "They're all great players, elite players, highly competitive guys. And just to even go at it like that, to be honest, you don't expect anything different from that crew."
For Boldy, it was all part of the game. He can share a laugh about it with the Tkachuks later, but when they're wearing different sweaters, there's no doubt whose side he's on.
Originally reported by theathleticuk.