The latest episode of “Wingmen with Matthew & Brady Tkachuk” sparked significant backlash online after a clip circulated showing the brothers joking about female fans using NHL players’ nicknames.During the segment, Matthew Tkachuk launched into an anecdote about hockey terminology and the awkwardness he feels when people outside the sport use insider vocabulary.“Funny though, Brady… when I say some of these terms it just flows. But say like we’re with somebody that I don’t think really knows what it means, and they say it, I’m like… what are you saying? You’re not allowed to say that. You don’t play in the National League.”He continued, shifting to the topic of nicknames:“Nothing worse than when girls call a player by their nickname.”Brady Tkachuk chimed in immediately, reacting to the comment:“That’s… that’s done to me. I don’t even want to talk about that.”While the exchange was clearly intended as locker-room banter, the tone and phrasing quickly drew criticism once the clip hit social platforms.Hockey fans responded swiftly and sharply on X. Critics argued that Matthew’s choice to single out “girls” rather than “fans” in general reinforced long-standing issues surrounding respect and gatekeeping within the sport’s culture.One user wrote:“Not surprised in the slightest these two men would say and think this. Watched the whole segment for context and yup, I’m mad. Insane misogynistic undertones.”Another pointed out the contradiction between the podcast’s stated purpose and the content:“A+ work on growing the game by talking down to women.”theminorityleague @TMLpodLINK@morganbolts A+ work on growing the game by talking down to womenOthers noted that the wording itself was the issue:“The way he said girls and not just fans… eugh.”p @moosepoitrasLINK@morganbolts the way he said girls and not just fans… eughSome responses took a more humorous tone, but still conveyed frustration:“IR got their heads too… shaking it up because what the hell are they talking about lmaoo.”Another fan, who identified as a supporter of Brady, expressed disappointment:“Boy that’s an awful look for a self-proclaimed ‘players pod to grow the game.’ Three episodes in and shitting on women fans already. I love my captain but this is just terrible.”fabio zetterlund🍕 @Soucer23LINK@morganbolts Boy that’s an awful look for a self proclaimed “Players pod to grow the game” 3 episodes in and shitting on women fans already. I love my captain but this is just terrible. It should be said for everyone, you don’t call a person you don’t know by their nickname, gender irrelevantSeveral commenters also clarified that etiquette around nicknames applies to all fans, not just women.Brady and Matthew Tkachuk announced their podcast last monthEarlier last month, Brady and Matthew Tkachuk officially launched their new weekly podcast “Wingmen”. They shared that they will be turning the brothers’ long-running FaceTime banter into a full-fledged show ready for the NHL season.The project had been in the works since the spring but the brothers didn’t publicly announce it until a Wednesday reveal on The Pat McAfee Show.“For us it’s super exciting,” Matthew said. “Brady and I FaceTime pretty much daily or weekly, now we’re getting paid to do it once a week, are you kidding me? So it’s pretty exciting and I’m just super excited to grow the game.”According to Matthew, the idea was first pitched right before the playoffs. But with both he and Brady still competing, they shelved the concept until the postseason wrapped. Once Matthew lifted the Stanley Cup with Florida, the pair revisited the proposal.“It just happened really quickly,” Matthew said. “And now it’s finally actually happening.” [HT/ NHL.com]Wingmen is produced by Wave Sports & Entertainment, the same company behind Jason and Travis Kelce’s hit NFL podcast New Heights.