Forward Matthew Tkachuk has finally returned to the ice with the Florida Panthers, participating in his first practice of the season on Sunday. This marks his return four months after undergoing surgery to address a sports hernia and a torn adductor muscle.
Tkachuk has been sidelined since Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final, where the Panthers secured their second consecutive championship victory over the Edmonton Oilers. Although he attempted rehabilitation throughout the summer, surgical intervention ultimately became necessary to resolve the issue.
During the practice session, Tkachuk was observed wearing a yellow non-contact jersey, indicating that he is not yet cleared for competitive game action. The Panthers are set to host Washington on Monday and Montreal on Tuesday, before facing the New York Rangers in the highly anticipated NHL Winter Classic at the Miami Marlins` ballpark on Friday.
The team is scheduled to hold a practice session at the ballpark facility on Thursday as they prepare for their inaugural outdoor game.
Following the June championship win, Tkachuk disclosed that he had sustained his injuries back in February while representing Team USA at the 4 Nations Face-Off tournament. Despite missing the final 25 games of the regular season, he managed to return for the start of the playoffs against the Tampa Bay Lightning.
During his 23 playoff games, Tkachuk registered an impressive 23 points (eight goals and 15 assists), including a significant seven points contributed during the Stanley Cup Final series.
Despite dealing with the absence of several key players this season, including captain Aleksander Barkov, the Panthers were tied for the second and final wild-card position in the Eastern Conference as of Sunday, trailing the Atlantic Division lead by just five points.
Florida’s management had operated this season with the expectation that Tkachuk would return on a “December-ish” timeline. He has publicly expressed his strong desire to participate in the upcoming Winter Classic and to play for Team USA at the Milan Cortina Olympics scheduled for February.
