Drew Doughty on beef with Matthew Tkachuk: 'We both know who the better player is'

In case you were wondering, Drew Doughty and Matthew Tkachuk still aren’t very fond of each other.

Although Tkachuk has played against the Los Angeles Kings just 11 times in his first three seasons with the Calgary Flames, the 21-year-old forward has developed quite the “relationship” with Doughty. Ahead of their clash on Tuesday night at the Scotiabank Saddledome, L.A.’s veteran defenceman had some things to say about his good buddy in Calgary.

"I think we both know who the better player is, so if he wants to compliment me first, I'll give him one back,” said the Norris Trophy winner despite the fact the Kings didn’t want him to talk about Tkachuk, according to Sportnet’s Eric Francis.

Per Kristen Anderson of the Calgary Sun, Doughty was asked why their rivalry hasn’t been put to rest, and whether it could potentially be solved with a simple compliment.

Before Doughty’s comments, Tkachuk provided a cheeky verbal jab when asked if he respects the two-time Stanley Cup champion.

“He’s a good player and had a good career...” he said, according to Francis.

The pair’s hatred for each other goes back to March of 2017 when Tkachuk delivered a nasty elbow to the face of Doughty during the first period of a regular season contest between the Kings and Flames.

Tkachuk, who was a rookie at the time, was slapped with a two-game suspension for his actions.

While Drew Doughty only has one fight to his name in 937 NHL regular season and playoff games — a scrap with Joe Thornton in 2012 — the 29-year-old’s animosity towards Tkachuk nearly resulted in a bout last season.

Tkachuk, who already has seven NHL fights under his belt, didn’t end up dropping the gloves as a result of Doughty’s prodding. However, things could play out differently if it gets a little heated between the two on Tuesday night.

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