12/28/25 01:20:00
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12/28 13:18 CST Matthew Tkachuk practices with Panthers for 1st time this
season, indicating game return is near
Matthew Tkachuk practices with Panthers for 1st time this season, indicating
game return is near
By TIM REYNOLDS
AP Sports Writer
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) --- Matthew Tkachuk played hockey on Sunday, which
was a jolt of long-awaited good news for the Florida Panthers.
How long it'll take him to go from the practice rink to the game rink remains
unclear.
Wearing a yellow non-contact jersey, Tkachuk practiced Sunday for the first
time this season and more than four months after he had surgery to repair a
sports hernia and torn adductor muscle.
Tkachuk has not played since Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final, when the Panthers
clinched their second consecutive title by again topping the Edmonton Oilers.
He went through the summer trying to rehab --- but eventually decided that he
needed the surgery knowing it would cost him the first few months of the season.
The wait isn't over. But it's close.
"He looks awesome," Panthers forward Carter Verhaeghe said. "Good to see him
back out there. He brought us some energy today, that's for sure."
Now the waiting game shifts to when Tkachuk will play a game. Florida plays
host to Washington on Monday and Montreal on Tuesday, then will be the home
team for the NHL Winter Classic at the Miami Marlins' ballpark against the New
York Rangers on Friday.
The Panthers are scheduled to practice at the ballpark on Thursday. Other than
morning skates, that will be their next practice. And there's no guarantee that
Tkachuk will play Friday. Florida is not going to rush it just for him to be
part of an event.
"There's a whole bunch of things he's got to get through. The question is, is
there enough time," Panthers coach Paul Maurice said. "He might be healthy
enough or close to enough that he could play, but we're not guessing on this.
... As much as we like the spectacle of it and we'd love for him to be a part
of it --- it would be great for the game to see him out there --- the Florida
Panthers need him healthy for the rest of the year."
After the Panthers won their second straight Stanley Cup in June, Tkachuk
revealed that he had sustained the injuries while playing for Team USA in the 4
Nations Face-Off in February. He missed the final 25 games of the regular
season but returned for Game 1 of the Panthers' first-round series against the
Tampa Bay Lightning.
Tkachuk had 23 points --- eight goals and 15 assists --- in 23 playoff games,
including seven points in the Stanley Cup Final. He's expected to address
reporters later this week and indicated after the practice Sunday that all went
well with the workout.
The Panthers have been without a slew of key players all season, including
captain Aleksander Barkov. They entered Sunday tied for the second and final
wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference, only five points out of the lead in
the Atlantic Division.
Florida has gone through this season with the expectation that Tkachuk would be
back on a "December-ish" timeline. He has said he wants to play in the Winter
Classic, the Panthers' first outdoor game, and for Team USA at the Milan
Cortina Olympics in February.
"We will enjoy the talent upgrade," Maurice said. "He's a great player. But
it's the personality more. He's chirping on the ice, right? He's giving it to
guys. They're laughing. He's bringing a little joy to everyone. He's funny on
the bench. He has an incredible emotional IQ in terms of the game of hockey.
When nothing needs to happen, he doesn't do anything. When something needs to
happen, he figures out the right way."
___
AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl
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