"He's a little bit of a whiner" - When Matthew Tkachuk jokingly roasted Auston Matthews’ sea travelling issues

The 2016 NHL Draft Class is easily one of the best in recent times. Alongside No. 1 pick Auston Matthews, the top 10 included Patrik Laine, Charlie McAvoy, Alex DeBrincat and Matthew Tkachuk. Most of these big names had either played alongside or against each other at the junior level, so there was a certain amount of familiarity.

There was camaraderie between Matthews and Tkachuk, who had represented Team USA at the junior level for more than a year. They played together at the World Junior Championships in 2015-16 and had represented Team USA at the U18 World Championships the previous year.

Leading up to the draft, the two players engaged in some friendly banter while on a tour of Niagara Falls. Chris Lund of Leafs TV asked Tkachuk who had a bigger problem at sea. In his usual playful manner, Tkachuk called Matthews a whiner.

"Um, probably myself. Auston—he’s a little bit of a whiner. So, whenever he gets into those circumstances where, you know, he doesn’t like something a whole lot, he can—he tends to complain a little bit. But that’s just—that’s just my perspective on it," Tkachuk said.

Matthews hit back at Tkachuk's lavish 'boat lifestyle' that followed his father, Keith Tkachuk's success.

"Well, I mean, he basically lives on a boat. His dad owns, like, four of them. So, you know, everybody knows Keith Tkachuk. They just go to the Cape and have a good time on their family boat."

Matthews and Tkachuk were the two biggest names coming out of the 2016 NHL draft class. While Matthews was selected first overall, Tkachuk was picked sixth.

Auston Matthews recalled junior-level highs at the 4 Nations Face-Off

Auston Matthews and Matthew Tkachuk practically grew up together through the Nation Team Development program before they turned pro. The longstanding friendship culminated in a reunion of sorts at the recent 4 Nations Face-Off.

"Those two years were two of the finest years of hockey for me, and just the relationships and friendships that you build throughout those times," Matthews said. "Yeah, obviously, want that to translate into something like this, a tournament that's very quick, right to it."