"That dudes a f**king joke" "Getting hot in here": NHL fans react as Matthew Tkachuk poses with Stanley Cup, a cigar and 2000 Heisman Trophy

Matthew Tkachuk, who won his second Stanley Cup with the Florida Panthers, is in the spotlight after a photo of him went viral on social media. He is sitting on a bench outdoors with the Stanley Cup, a cigar, and the 2000 Heisman Trophy.

The photo (originally posted by The Hockey News' Armando Velez on Monday) was taken during his personal day with the cup. He is wearing a white cap and a shirt that says:

“Back to Back,” a reference to his consecutive Stanley Cup wins in the 2023-24 and 2024-25 NHL seasons.

The Heisman Trophy, which is for college football, surprised many fans. It was won in 2000 by Chris Weinke of Florida State University.

The photo was shared by BarDown on X.

"Matthew Tkachuk with one of the coldest photos of the year. 😮‍💨🥶," they captioned the post.

Soon, the post drew attention from hockey fans.

“lol that dude’s a fu**ing joke,” one fan said. “Is it just me or is it getting hot in here? 🥵,” another fan wrote. "Incredible year for Matthew. As a Florida State alum, I approve of his actions as well BTW," a fan wrote.

Here are some more reactions from fans.

"Why is holding someone elses trophy hot or cold or whatever lame way you say is good?" a fan questioned. "Why is he posing with a Heisman trophy that was won like 25 yrs ago by a 30yr old?? Weird picture," another fan questioned. "This guy is the biggest phoney on earth. Smoking a cigar doesn’t make him look “hard” or whatever it is he wants people to think of him. He’s b**ch made. Through and through. He’s an actor," a fan critiqued.

Panthers star Matthew Tkachuk spent his Stanley Cup day in his hometown

Matthew Tkachuk, who played last season with a torn adductor muscle, spent his Stanley Cup day in his hometown, St. Louis, on Monday. He began the day at St. Louis Children’s Hospital.

"It always starts off at Children's Hospital," Tkachuk said, via NHL.com. "It's always the mandatory first stop. No ifs ands or buts. You have no idea what those kids are going through."

Tkachuk said he wants to brighten the children’s day, even if only for a minute. He hopes it makes them happy and gives them something to tell their friends.

Next, he visited the Brentwood Police Department and Fire Department and enjoyed making them smile.

Wayne Gretzky’s wife Janet responds to critics questioning his loyalty to Canada, Bobby Orr's support following 4 Nations drama

Edited by Ribin Peter