Matthew Tkachuk will miss the beginning of the season with a lower-body damage and is probably going out till December for the Florida Panthers, basic supervisor Invoice Zito stated Wednesday.
“Don’t maintain me to that,” Zito stated. “My web medical diploma.”
The 27-year-old and two-time Stanley Cup winner was restricted to 52 regular-season video games final season and had 57 factors (22 targets, 35 assists). He sustained a torn adductor muscle and a sports activities hernia damage on the identical facet whereas enjoying for america on the 4 Nations Face-Off in February.
Invoice Guerin, basic supervisor of Group USA for the Olympic Winter Video games Milano Cortina 2026, stated they’re “planning and anticipating” to have Tkachuk for the match this February, the primary time NHL gamers will take part within the winter video games for the reason that 2014 Sochi Olympics.
“Planning and anticipating (to have him),” Guerin stated at america Males’s Olympic Orientation Camp on Aug. 27. “I imply, that’s simply what I’ve to do. And if one thing adjustments, then we’ll change it, however he’s on and he’s going to be on till he can’t.”
Tkachuk was not one of many 44 gamers to attend the camp on the Saint John’s Resort and Resort in Plymouth, Michigan. He and his brother, Ottawa Senators captain Brady Tkachuk, had been among the many first six gamers named to the U.S. preliminary roster June 16, with facilities Jack Eichel (Vegas Golden Knights) and Auston Matthews (Toronto Maple Leafs) and defensemen Quinn Hughes (Vancouver Canucks) and Charlie McAvoy (Boston Bruins).
“He referred to as me and simply type of informed me what was occurring,” Guerin stated. “It wouldn’t be nice for him get on a aircraft and fly proper now. He didn’t need to be right here. He was upbeat. He’s at all times upbeat.”
The Tkachuk brothers grew to become the face of U.S. hockey in the course of the 4 Nations Face-Off final February, every getting right into a combat within the opening seconds of a preliminary spherical win towards Canada. Matthew sustained an damage within the match and was solely in a position to play 4 shifts in a 3-2 extra time loss to Canada within the championship sport, however he stayed on the bench your complete time, cheering on his countrymen.
“I feel he represents, in a number of methods, the identification of the group and what we try to change into as a bunch,” U.S. coach Mike Sullivan stated. “He’s a fierce competitor. He has unimaginable take care of his teammates.
“We actually missed him within the 4 Nations last.”
Tkachuk missed the ultimate 9 weeks of the common season and returned for the beginning of the Stanley Cup Playoffs on April 22. He performed all 23 postseason video games and tied forwards Sam Reinhart and Carter Verhaeghe for the group lead in factors with 23 (eight targets, 15 assists).
After serving to the Panthers win their second straight Stanley Cup title, Tkachuk stated his adductor muscle was torn from the bone.
“I wouldn’t be right here with out the trainers and the medical doctors and people individuals, and that’s what makes this Cup extra particular for me is how laborious it was simply to be on the market and to get to the purpose of enjoying,” Tkachuk stated June 18.
“I owe these guys. This Cup is due to them for me, and I’m so fortunate.”
Tkachuk scored what would show to be the Cup-winning purpose when he gave the Panthers a 2-0 lead with 47 seconds left within the first interval towards the Edmonton Oilers in Recreation 6 of the Stanley Cup Ultimate. He stated he wasn’t certain whether or not he can be prepared for the beginning of the playoffs even just a few days earlier than they started.
“He was a large number,” Florida coach Paul Maurice stated on the time. “That’s the medical time period. He was a large number.
“Matthew’s performed with some accidents. We weren’t hopeful at first that he would survive the primary spherical. Simply didn’t assume he might do it, however what he does so nicely is he’s so sensible. He managed himself across the ice and across the sport that he might nonetheless produce, however he wasn’t taking hits, and he wasn’t giving hits. He was in open ice.
“Then he simply type of slowly constructed that and slowly obtained a bit extra … the nearer we obtained towards the tip of the Ultimate, it didn’t matter. Tears it off the bone once more, high quality, come again in January. Simply would assist the group win. And his final 4 video games for me had been the 4 greatest video games he’s performed for the Florida Panthers.”
Chosen by the Calgary Flames with the No. 6 decide within the 2016 NHL Draft, Tkachuk has 636 factors (240 targets, 396 assists) in 642 regular-season video games with the Flames and Panthers, and 84 factors (32 targets, 52 assists) in 94 playoff video games.
He was acquired by Florida with a conditional fourth-round decide within the 2025 NHL Draft in a commerce with Calgary on July 22, 2022, for forwards Jonathan Huberdeau and Cole Schwindt, defenseman MacKenzie Weegar and a conditional first-round decide within the 2025 NHL Draft.
Zito additionally stated Wednesday that Tomas Nosek has a “long-term damage” and is out indefinitely. The 33-year-old ahead had 9 factors (one purpose, eight assists) in 59 regular-season video games and three assists in 16 playoff video games final season.
NHL.com Editor-in-Chief Invoice Worth contributed to this report
