FORT LAUDERDALE -- With the sun shining and ocean waves crashing behind them, Aleksander Barkov and Matthew Tkachuk greeted the media ahead of 2023 NHL All-Star Weekend on Thursday.
When asked about hosting the rest of the NHL, Barkov said it's been an easy job so far.
"I don't think we need to show off anything," said the Florida Panthers captain, who is making his second appearance at the event. "When people come here, I don't think there's one person that doesn't like to be here. Everything you need is in Florida -- weather, restaurants, everything."
Barkov and Tkachuk hit up NHL All-Star Beach Festival
That being said, Barkov did have a word of warning for the out-of-town superstars.
Screen up!
"We're going to see some sunburns, for sure," Barkov laughed.
Spending most of the afternoon with sand beneath their feet, Barkov and Tkachuk each made the rounds at the NHL All-Star Beach Festival in Fort Lauderdale prior to NHL All-Star Media Day. From appearing on podcasts to checking out some gaming action at the NHL 23 All-Star Open, both players were greeted cheers as they walked from one activation to another over the course of a few hours.
At the "NHL Autograph Cave," Tkachuk and Barkov signed for droves of hockey-hungry fans.
"You can see the energy," Tkachuk said of the turnout. "Just being down at the beach the last 3-4 hours at the fan festival, there's so many people not only from Florida but the whole hockey world that are super excited. But I think when All-Star is in Florida, people get a little more excited."
For Barkov, seeing fans brave the heat in Panthers jerseys was a sign of hockey's growth in South Florida.
"It's amazing," said Barkov, who made his debut with Florida back in 2013. "The whole 10 years that I've been here, I feel like the organization, the team and the hockey community as a whole has been growing and getting better and bigger. It's an exciting time to be a Florida Panther."
While at the fan festival, Tkachuk also got a head start on NHL All-Star Skills. While the actual event won't begin until 7 p.m. ET at FLA Live Arena on Friday, he participated in a new pre-taped challenge called "Splash Shot" in which players attempted to send each other into dunk tanks.
"I'm sure people will get a kick out of that," said Tkachuk, who wasn't allowed to reveal too much about the event.
Also participating in "Splash Shot" was Tkachuk's brother Brady, who's representing the Ottawa Senators during NHL All-Star Weekend. Teaming up on the ice, Brady will join Matthew on the Atlantic Division's squad for the NHL All-Star Game at FLA Live Arena on Saturday at 3 p.m. ET.
"It'll be fun," Tkachuk said. "It's the first time that we've ever played with each other in a competitive environment. I feel bad for whoever has to be the third guy that has to play with us."
Right now, all signs point to Barkov potentially being that third player.
"We'll see," Barkov said of being an honorary Tkachuk. "I'm not going to backcheck this year."
But even if he has to play a little defense -- something he admits he might have done too much during his All-Star debut back in 2018 -- Barkov said he's looking forward to spending a whole lot more time with Tkachuk both on and off ice throughout the rest of NHL All-Star Weekend.
Despite being teammates for only a little over half a season, Barkov said it feels much longer.
"With Matthew here, it's nice to have someone from your team that you spend a lot of time with," Barkov said of Tkachuk, who was acquired by the Panthers in a blockbuster trade with the Calgary Flames in July. "It's great to get to experience something like this with him. It also means a lot that it's at home and to see just how much people are excited for this event."
As for Barkov's aforementioned thoughts on hosting, Tkachuk agrees he won't have to spend too much time convincing other All-Stars just how special it is to play hockey in South Florida.
"I don't say anything, but they know," Tkachuk chuckled. "They know."
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