Matthew Tkachuk Won't Stop Being A Pain In The Ass

Calgary Flames forward Matthew Tkachuk (on the bench, wearing No. 19) delivered his second dirty play within a month in Wednesday’s loss against the Leafs. While this one was subtle enough that it went unnoticed at the time, it’s still going to get him into trouble. The NHL will have a disciplinary hearing with Tkachuk today for his sneaky spear from the bench during a first period pile-up.

That’s more of an annoying play than a dangerous one, but it’s pretty shitty coming from Tkachuk, who was already in the spotlight after he was suspended one game for his tap on Luke Witkowski that sparked a full-fledged brawl against the Red Wings.

Despite still being a teenager in his sophomore season, Tkachuk has already gained a well-earned reputation as one of the nastiest, or maybe “inventive,” players in the NHL, depending on your rooting interest. “ 12 Minutes Of Matthew Tkachuk Pissing People Off As A Rookie” is the kind of résumé that takes effort to build in one year. It’s clear that this is part of his DNA, and a few missed games here and there won’t do much to stop him.