Panthers' Matthew Tkachuk to miss start of 2025-26 NHL season after undergoing surgery, per report
Tkachuk anticipates his absence to extend multiple months into the campaign
By
Carter Bahns
•
1 min read
Florida Panthers star and reigning Stanley Cup champion Matthew Tkachuk is expected to miss the start of the 2025 season after he underwent surgery earlier this month, ESPN reports. Tkachuk had been considering surgery this summer, and as recently as this month he considered it to be a "50-50" chance that he would have the procedure. Tkachuk said at the time that if he did elect to have the surgery, he would likely miss the first two to three months of the season.
Following the Panthers' run to a second straight Stanley Cup, Tkachuk announced that he suffered a torn adductor muscle and a sports hernia injury while playing for Team USA in February's 4 Nations Face-Off. He missed the final 25 games of the regular season as a result of his ailments but returned for Game 1 of Florida's opening-round playoff series.
Despite his lingering injuries, Tkachuk shined en route to a title as he tied for the Panthers' team lead in postseason points with 23. He scored three goals and logged four assists in the Stanley Cup Final. That came at the end of a campaign in which Tkachuk accumulated 57 points over 52 regular-season games, including 22 goals and 35 assists.
Matthew Tkachuk dispels Olympic 'revenge' narrative, says gold medal is 'long time coming' for Team USA
Austin Nivison
Tkachuk joined the Panthers via trade in 2022 and has been nothing short of a star since his arrival from the Calgary Flames. He guided Florida to the Stanley Cup Final in each of his three seasons and was an NHL All-Star in 2023. He won the All-Star Game MVP award that year, as well.
Tkachuk is on an eight-year, $76 million contract with Florida and earns $9.5 million annually. This is the fourth year of that deal, which runs through the 2029-30 season.
Florida hits the ice Oct. 7 in the first game of the 2025-26 NHL season with its opener against the Chicago Blackhawks. The Panthers will be in search of a third straight Stanley Cup, and if they hoist the hardware again, they would be the first team since the New York Islanders in the early 1980s to stand atop the NHL three years in a row.
