The Florida Panthers said Matthew Tkachuk will be back for the playoffs, and they kept their word. Safe to say, Panthers fans were elated to watch their captain stake onto the ice. The hockey forward felt the same. “It was a long two months away,” he told the media after the game. Yet, the Panthers couldn’t have asked their captain to make a bigger statement on his return.
The 27-year-old dispelled any misconception about him being rusty after two months away from the ice and recovering from injury. No! The elder Tkachuk brother came in with all guns blazing against the Tampa Bay Lightning and scored not one but two goals. Tkachuk explained just how contributing two goals in the 6-2 victory helped move past the 4 Nations disappointment.
“I mean, it feels amazing,” Tkachuk said about being back in action in the first game of the 2025 NHL playoffs. Matthew Tkachuk said he was excited to play for the USA in the 4 Nations Face-Off final. “I felt good going into that game and felt that I could give a great effort,” said the Panthers captain. Yet, he didn’t realize the extent of the injury.
“I didn’t have much in me after the first period in that game in February,” he told the reporters. What’s more? The last two months have been grueling for the NHL icon. Despite looking like he never missed a beat against Tampa Bay, Tkachuk had a tough time with the injury. And while recovery had its highs and lows, there wasn’t a moment when Tkachuk didn’t miss hockey.
“You miss everything, but you just miss competing, on the ice, in the locker room with the guys, just going through it all. I missed that the most,” confessed Tkachuk. So coming back to the NHL in a high-stakes game, alongside new teammate Brad Marchand and scoring two goals, felt like everything he wanted, and more. Then again, even this moment may not have happened.
Uncertainty surrounded Matthew Tkachuk
While these two months must’ve felt like an eternity for the 27-year-old, the Panthers updated fans about their star’s status. While they couldn’t give fans a date, they are confident the Florida Panthers captain would return by the time the playoffs rolled around. Yet, they had good reason to be confident, because Tkachuk’s toughness is almost legendary.
Nick Fairbanks recounted how Matthew Tkachuk’s resilience allowed him to play despite a massive injury in the past. “He broke his sternum, and his brother had to help him get out of bed to just even play,” Fairbanks said in a video by Locked on Panthers. Yet this time, the uncertainty remained until the last moment. Panthers coach Paul Maurice said so to the media.
“He’s got to get through the morning skate tomorrow,” Maurice told reporters. The Panthers’ coach also explained that the team’s medical staff has continued to monitor Tkachuk’s recovery off the ice. So the Panthers’ captain only played after he got the green signal on the morning of Game 1. The 27-year-old himself confessed to knowing whether he would get the thumbs-up.
So, Matthew Tkachuk was grateful when he finally got everyone’s approval. “It’s just great to be out there, and just super grateful,” Tkachuk added during his locker room interview. But now that he is back, the ice hockey icon’s only goal is to lead his team to the finals for a second year in a row.
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