Panthers' Matthew Tkachuk Makes Candid Admission About Injury Scare
Panthers' Matthew Tkachuk Makes Candid Admission About Injury Scare originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
The Florida Panthers are one win away from a second straight Stanley Cup, but Matthew Tkachuk came dangerously close to missing this entire playoff run.
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The Panthers placed Matthew Tkachuk on long-term injured reserve (LTIR) at the start of March, ruling him out for the remainder of the regular season with a groin injury at that point and without knowing if he'd be available for the playoffs.
Tkachuk revealed on Monday that not even he was sure if he'd even be healthy in time to suit up for Game 1 of the first round back in April.
Speaking to reporters before Tuesday's Game 6, Tkachuk said the outlook was bleak just days before the postseason began.
'I didn't know if I was gonna come back at the start,' Tkachuk said. 'I kinda found out the day before (the playoffs) that I was gonna have a chance to play—the day of, honestly.'
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Tkachuk had been dealing with a lower-body injury suffered during the 4 Nations Face-Off in February. The groin issue forced him to miss Florida's final 25 regular-season games after limiting him to just 6:47 of ice time in the 4 Nations final.
The uncertainty carried right up to the opening night of the playoffs.
'I thought there was maybe a 50% chance I wouldn't be playing about a week or five days before playoffs,' Tkachuk said. 'I'm very lucky and fortunate that I've got great trainers and doctors. They all somehow got me healthy enough to play.'
Florida Panthers left wing Matthew Tkachuk (19)Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports
Tkachuk acknowledged that he wasn't close to 100% in the first round against Tampa Bay, which he called the worst of them "by far."
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'The first round was definitely the worst I felt, by far,' Tkachuk said. 'I knew that even at nowhere close to what I expect out of myself, I needed to help out as best I (could). I was proud of myself and happy for playing that round.'
Tkachuk surely overtook any issue and has appeared in all 22 postseason games for the Panthers this playoffs, scoring 22 points, including seven goals and 15 assists, entering Game 6 against the Oilers on Tuesday.
Related: NHL Makes Historic Sam Bennett Announcement Amid Stanley Cup Final
Related: Oilers Player Airs Frustration Over Brad Marchand's Game 5 Goals
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 17, 2025, where it first appeared.
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