If you’ve been a regular reader of any of the Nation Network sites over the past… well, ever…. you’re probably aware that the Calgary Flames and the Edmonton Oilers do not like each other. At all. And that animosity has made the Battle of Alberta pretty fun over the years.

Occasionally, there are players that participate in the Battle of Alberta that know how to press the other side’s buttons and amp things up a bit.

Case in point: Matthew Tkachuk.

The Flames’ first-round pick in 2016 became a full-time NHLer right away and figured out how to balance being a highly-skilled player and a gigantic agitator on the ice. (Well, he figured it out after a few suspensions…)

For someone who loved playing in chippy games, clashes with the Edmonton Oilers were showcases for Tkachuk. Arguably his first amazing outing was on Nov. 17, 2018 in the Saddledome, where Tkachuk’s physicality led to a clash with Zack Kassian off a face-off that led to Kassian getting a triple minor for roughing and a misconduct. (Kassian challenged Tkachuk to a fight, Tkachuk declined, and then Kassian decided to try to fight anyway.)

The Flames ended up winning that game 4-2.

The sequel to that game happened the following season, on Jan. 11, 2020 in the Saddledome. In that game, Tkachuk seemed to specifically target Kassian, knocking him down with three or four big hits during the first two periods.

Late in the second period, after a big Tkachuk hit, Kassian had enough to grabbed Tkachuk to fight him. Tkachuk did not want to participate and covered up as Kassian threw a slew of punches and a scrum formed on the ice.

Kassian was given 14 minutes in penalties – a double-minor for roughing and a 10-minute misconduct – and Tkachuk was labelled as a “turtle” by the Oilers fanbase for covering up rather than engaging in a full-on fight. (Tkachuk and Kassian actually fought 18 days later during a rematch in Edmonton.)

The Flames took advantage of the power play caused by Kassian’s outburst, with Elias Lindholm scoring the go-ahead goal early in the third period and the Flames held on for a 4-3 victory.

Following the game, Tkachuk had an all-timer of a scrum with the assembled media and teed up some great quotes about the crazy game:

When Tkachuk is on his game, offensively and as an agitator, there are few better in the NHL at what he does. And the Battles of Alberta during his Flames tenure are perfect examples of how he could tilt a game in his team’s favour.