"No, I don’t. Honestly," said Matthews. "I think he doesn’t really take that stuff into account, he goes out there and competes every night, whether it’s against guys that he knows or guys that he’s friends with or not.Tkachuk’s reputation as a thorn-in-your-side agitator hit a new level after Saturday’s Battle of Alberta, when he levelled Zack Kassian with a series of well-timed hits, but declined to oblige the Edmonton Oilers bruiser in a fight.
None of it was a surprise to Matthews, who saw Tkachuk perfect the art of getting under an opponent’s skin during their time together at the U.S. national development program. He was already well adept at doing it even as a teenager. "He’ll play on the edge and, obviously, he’s kind of pissed a couple people off on the way to doing it."
Toronto is not a team that engages in much physical play, and head coach Sheldon Keefe wants his players to remain mindful of what style brings them success.