DANIA BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Matthew Tkachuk's daughter, born just a few weeks ago, probably had her afternoon nap interrupted on Friday.

See, there was some noise over the house. The walls probably shook a bit, too.

That's what happens when an F-16 flies over the family home, repeatedly — and Tkachuk didn't mind whatsoever.

The star forward for the Florida Panthers was a civilian passenger with the Air Force’s air demonstration squadron Friday, getting to ride in the back seat of a Thunderbirds F-16 Fighting Falcon ahead of this weekend's Fort Lauderdale Air Show. Tkachuk was part of a practice flight with Lt. Col. Tyler “Wrath” Keener, even getting his name on the side of the jet.

“A truly unbelievable experience,” Tkachuk said.

He's had a bunch of those in the last couple of years — like the 2024 Stanley Cup, the 2025 Stanley Cup and an Olympic gold medal from the Milan Cortina Games earlier this year, along with getting married and becoming a father. Keener asked Tkachuk if he wanted to fly over his home; Tkachuk didn't hesitate to say yes.

Sorry, Millie. Your nap can wait.

“We went over the house a bunch,” Tkachuk said. “And I know it’s loud because I think they were practicing a few days ago and I could hear it clearly. They were shaking the house. So, I don’t know, hopefully one day she thinks I’m pretty cool.”

The Thunderbirds didn't take it easy on Tkachuk. He was upside down at times, felt more speed and power than he thought were possible, and Keener even let him take the controls — briefly — for some spins.

He didn't get sick in the air, and he didn't black out, either.

“Almost,” he acknowledged.

The Panthers have deep ties to the military. Owner Vincent Viola is a graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, and the team pays tribute to a veteran at every home game.

That was one of the reasons why making Tkachuk a Thunderbird for a day made sense.

“He had the best seat in the house,” Keener said. “And he knew it the whole time.”

The Panthers brought the Thunderbirds a commemorative jersey; Tkachuk brought his Olympic gold medal for them to see and pose with. When the flight was over, the Thunderbirds presented him with a photo of them flying past Mount Rushmore — and a pin commemorating that he withstood more than 9 G's of force during the trip through the South Florida sky on Friday.

“On the way out there, we were talking about a lot of the shared tendencies and behaviors that we have between teams,” Keener said. “They play 82 regular-season games. We fly over 60-plus shows per year. We were talking about how to get ready for a day, how to be cohesive as a team, all the important traits of teamwork and getting better every day.”

Later this month, Tkachuk will try to become the first American in hockey’s Triple Gold Club. After the Stanley Cups and Olympic gold, he will play at the world championships — and is slated to be the only member of the Olympic team to play at worlds.

He said having another chance to wear “USA” on his chest was a blessing.

“If I’m not the most, I’m right up there for the most patriotic guy,” Tkachuk said. “I love this country. It's the best country in the world. It’s all thanks to everybody that works behind the scenes here and that gives us the freedom to enjoy the best place in the world.”

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Tucker West, who made three U.S. Olympic teams and won three World Cup luge races, formally announced his retirement from competitive sliding Thursday.

West's news was not a surprise; he said last fall that it was likely to be his final season. He didn't qualify for the team that competed at the Milan Cortina Games in February and wasn't on the list of names released by USA Luge as being part of the national team for fall 2026.

“While things may not have ended how I envisioned, I can’t help but feel grateful for the career I had,” West said in a statement released by USA Luge. “The journey wasn’t always easy, but I’m incredibly proud of what I was able to accomplish. So many people made my career possible, and I’ll never be able to thank them enough."

West got two of his World Cup singles wins on home ice in Lake Placid, New York, and the other in Whistler, Canada. He leaves the sport as the most accomplished starter in USA Luge's history, after winning 12 start championships at the team's training facility.

The story of how West got into luge made global headlines when he qualified for the 2014 Sochi Olympics as an 18-year-old. More than a decade earlier, West's father Brett built an actual luge track in the family's backyard after becoming fascinated by the sport at the 2002 Salt Lake Olympics.

That's where Tucker West learned to slide, and the rest is history. He married fellow slider Raychel Germaine in 2023.

“Luge has been part of my life for as long as I can remember,” he said. "I grew up in the USA Luge system, made friendships that will last a lifetime, and most importantly, met my wife through the sport. I’ll always be part of the USA Luge family. I’m excited for what’s next, and while I’ll be watching from the other side of the finish line now, I’ll be cheering just as loud.”