"Little disrespectful to the game": Bruins' Trent Frederic calls out Matthew Tkachuk for not dropping the gloves

In the opening game of the season, the Boston Bruins faced off against the Florida Panthers. Trent Frederic was ready to fight Matthew Tkachuk in the first period. Although Tkachuk had reportedly agreed to the fight, he kept his gloves on. This confused Frederic, who tried to grab Tkachuk's jersey. The situation led to a scrum and Frederic received an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty.

After the Bruins lost 6-4 at Amerant Bank Arena, Frederic expressed his disappointment. He said Tkachuk had shown interest in fighting but didn’t follow through.

"He actually asked me because I was asking him and then he didn't. It's hard to read that," Frederic said. "I didn't know people did that. I think that's a little disrespectful to the game."

Tkachuk's refusal to fight increased the tension between the Bruins and Panthers. Many Boston fans see Tkachuk as a villain. Although the expected fight did not happen, the game was still physical. Bruins player Mark Kastelic fought former Bruins player A.J. Greer early in the game. In the third period, Sam Bennett collided with Bruins goalie Joonas Korpisalo.

In the same game against the Florida Panthers, Trent Frederic and Sam Bennett also had a heated exchange on the ice. Their disagreement quickly escalated into a fight. The referee intervened to break it up, but Frederic and Bennett continued to argue.

The Bruins wanted revenge after losing to the Panthers in the last two playoffs. However, their need for payback affected their discipline on the ice. They committed eight penalties in total. Frederic acknowledged this after the game.

“I don’t know. Maybe a little. I mean, my mind was probably not in the greatest place for the first hockey game of the season,” he said.

Matthew Tkachuk's trash talk in NHL Docuseries fuels Bruins rivalry

Boston Bruins fans already dislike Matthew Tkachuk, and his comments in a new NHL docuseries could worsen that.

In one scene of the series Faceoff: Inside the NHL, Tkachuk taunted Bruins captain Brad Marchand, saying (via NESN):

"Never seen a captain quit on his team."

This likely happened after Marchand missed two games due to injury during last season’s playoff series against the Panthers. The Panthers went on to eliminate the Bruins. David Pastrnak tried to calm Marchand by telling him to ignore Tkachuk.

Bruins fans who respect Marchand’s toughness would likely be upset by Tkachuk's remark. Marchand is known for playing through injuries throughout his career.

Matthew Tkachuk has a history of getting under the Bruins' skin. His actions continue to annoy Bruins supporters.