Florida Panthers star Matthew Tkachuk is a Stanley Cup champion, but it is not even close to being the most memorable moment in his hockey career. 

The NHL veteran appeared on "The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon" on Monday to discuss the 4 Nations Face-Off final, which ended in heartbreak for the Americans following a 3-2 overtime loss to Canada. 

Tkachuk reflected on the tournament, which he had previously called the "biggest game" he has ever played in. 

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"The last two weeks representing my country was something I’ll never forget," he said. 

In his second season with the Panthers, Tkachuk helped the Panthers back to the Stanley Cup Finals for the second straight year, when they defeated the Edmonton Oilers in seven games to become the 2024 Stanley Cup champions – a first for Tkachuk. 

Even so, Tkachuk was adamant that playing for the U.S. in the 4 Nations Face-Off was still the biggest game of his career. 

"It really was such a big tournament and such a huge stage and something I’ll never forget," he told Fallon.

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"The thing that I’m most proud of with that team was how much pride we showed in representing our country and being Americans. We’re so lucky to be from this great country and to be able to represent [that]."

He continued, "Just to be able to represent and look down and see the USA crest – there’s nothing that’ll beat that. So, it’s incredible." 

Last week’s final came amid heightened political tensions between Canada and the U.S. President Donald Trump teased Canadian lawmakers about the country becoming its "51st state." He also openly called Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau the "governor" of Canada and threatened a series of tariffs. 

The intensity led to Canadian fans booing the American national anthem before two games in the tournament – something that fueled Team USA on the ice.

The 4 Nations final drew in massive ratings. 

As the first best-on-best tournament in around a decade, the game was watched by 16.1 million viewers in North America for the second-most watched hockey game in the past decade. 

The first? Tkachuk’s Game 7 of the 2024 Stanley Cup finals, which drew in 16.3 million viewers. 

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Chiefs general manager Brett Veach said Tuesday he expects Travis Kelce to play in 2025 after his most recent conversation with the star tight end.

The Tennessee Titans, who currently hold the No. 1 pick in April's NFL draft, believe reigning Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter is fully capable of playing both offense and defense in the NFL.

Baltimore ravens GM Eric DeCosta called the allegations of sexual misconduct against kicker Justin Tucker "serious and concerning."

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William succeeded Queen Elizabeth II as patron of the Football Association last summer following his time as FA president.

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Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta said the number of sexual misconduct allegations made against kicker Justin Tucker is "serious and concerning" but indicated that the team will wait before determining his future in Baltimore.

Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel said Tuesday that the team is operating as if five-time Pro Bowl left tackle Terron Armstead will not return in 2025.

The four-time major champion originally filed for divorce in May 2024 before reversing course the following month.

The Philadelphia Eagles completely stymied the Kansas City Chiefs’ offense in Super Bowl LIX, sacking Patrick Mahomes and causing three turnovers on their way to a big win.

The Eagles were pitching a shutout in the first half but allowed all of Kansas City’s 22 points in the second half. The defense in the final two quarters appeared to be a point of contention with defensive coordinator Vic Fangio despite the dominant display.

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Philadelphia linebacker Jalyx Hunt revealed Fangio did not mince words when he assessed his defensive players. He said on Pete Takes’ podcast that Fangio called the defensive display "unacceptable" after a meeting about the championship parade.

"We have a checklist each game of what we need to do, and if you get a yes in those boxes, nine times out of 10, we win … He circles the second half, and he says, ‘This is unacceptable. Unacceptable. 22 points.’ We won! They didn’t score in the first half, we’re having a meeting after the Super Bowl. He wants perfection," Hunt recalled.

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The Eagles were as close to perfect as they could have wanted.

Mahomes was seemingly going to get his incredible plays in throughout the game. He threw three touchdown passes in the second half despite being down 34-0 at one point. One of them was a 50-yard toss to Xavier Worthy. The rookie had two of the touchdown catches.

The Eagles ended the Chiefs’ chance at three consecutive Super Bowl titles.

Now, it is time for both teams to reload and fill in the holes they may have during the offseason.

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The Falcons were unaware that QB Kirk Cousins was dealing with an injury late last season beyond a single injury report. Cousins, who had hurt his right shoulder and right elbow in Week 10, is expected to remain QB2 in 2025.

Steelers general manager Omar Khan emphasized the team's desire to retain top vertical threat George Pickens on Tuesday.

Betting tips and picks for Oilers-Lightning tonight on ESPN+ and Hulu, as well as a key awards race bet.

If it was up to Kadary Richmond, St. John’s would clinch an outright Big East regular season title on Wednesday. 

Don’t add the veteran QB's name to the list of free-agent quarterbacks just yet.

The Atlanta Falcons might not be moving on from Kirk Cousins – yet. 

Falcons general manager Terry Fontenot said Cousins will remain with the team for the foreseeable future, on Tuesday at the NFL Draft combine, via NFL Network. 

Cousins, 36, was benched in favor of rookie quarterback Michael Penix Jr. after struggling last season. 

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Cousins was benched despite signing a four-year, $180 million contract with $100 million guaranteed prior to last season.  

Things started out well for Cousins and the Falcons, as they were 6-3 and atop the NFC South. 

Then the team imploded as Cousins’ play took a turn for the worse. In Cousins’ final five games as the starter, he threw just one touchdown with nine interceptions as the team went on a four-game losing streak. 

The team was 7-7 when Penix took over for Cousins, with their playoff chances having turned from once strong into a long shot. Penix went 1-2 with two overtime losses in his three starts, and the Falcons missed the playoffs. 

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Fontenot praised Cousins for how he handled the demotion. 

"Kirk handled that really well at the end of the season," Fontenot said via NBC Sports. "Obviously, Kirk’s a really talented player, he’s a great man, all those things. Again, he handled that role well at the end of the season."

NFL executives expected Cousins to be released before the quarterback was due a $10 million roster bonus on March 17, according to an ESPN report from December. However, Fontenot’s comments on Tuesday make it seem that Cousins is not going anywhere. 

That $10 million roster bonus will count toward the Falcons' salary cap in 2026, per Spotrac. 

In addition to the roster bonus kicking in, Cousins’ $27.5 million base salary, which he would receive if he stays on the Falcons' roster, would make him an incredibly expensive backup quarterback. 

Complicating matters for the Falcons is if they want to move on from Cousins via a trade, the quarterback would have to waive his full no-trade clause. According to the ESPN report, Cousins is not expected to waive it to help the Falcons. 

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Feds have arrested the mastermind behind a massive point-shaving scandal worth millions of dollars in illicit profits, court documents in Las Vegas reveal.

England forward Alessia Russo has spoken out after the trial of Luis Rubiales, saying she has “teammates who have been through it.”

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Longtime NBA agent Jim Tanner has been hired at UNC as general manager for men's basketball, after coach Hubert Davis said the "old model for Carolina basketball just doesn't work."

F1 preseason testing kicks off on Wednesday, but how can you make sense of the lap times posted in Bahrain? ESPN breaks down what to expect.