“With these long-term injuries, we just wait until the last [minute],” the Panthers’ head coach, Paul Maurice, said on Tuesday about the possibility of having star forward Matthew Tkachuk on the team for Game 1 of the playoffs. The defending Stanley Cup champs have a tough challenge ahead as they face arch in-state rivals Tampa Bay in Round 1 of this year’s postseason campaign. However, while the stars do seem to have aligned for the Miami team, the NHL community isn’t exactly amused.

Matthew Tkachuk has been out of action ever since he incurred a lower-body injury at the 4 Nations Face-Off earlier this year. Naturally, with the Panthers clinching their spot in the playoffs, fans have spent extended hours wondering whether he would lace up for the steep climb ahead. It looks like he just might. But looking at how the NHL has come down hard on some of Florida’s foes ahead of the postseason began, fans seem to have something to say about it.

The official Florida Panthers’ X account shared a much-awaited update on Tkachuk’s health condition via a post on the platform on April 22. Captioned, “An update on Chucky,” the post notes that Matthew Tkachuk has been activated from injury reserve before tonight’s clash against the Bolts. While it is welcome news for Panthers fans, their comrades can’t help but be amazed by how the NHL let things slide for the 2024 Stanley Cup winners while other camps like the Edmonton Oilers have to pay a hefty fine for their LTIRs.

The Oilers’ Evander Kane was barred by the NHL from playing in Game 1 against the Los Angeles Kings. “I’ve heard the NHL really scrutinized a number of teams late in the regular season and they wanted detailed explanations of why some players couldn’t play Game 82, and then could be ready for Game 1 of the playoffs,” noted Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, and it looks like the Edmonton star is among the unfortunate souls who got picked up on the NHL’s radar. The Oilers kept Kane on LTIR (long-term injury reserve) for most of the season because of the plethora of issues that plagued the star.

The Oilers’ winger underwent surgery in September to both hip abductors, two torn lower abdominal muscles, and two hernias. Then, in January this year, Kane again had to go under the knife, this time for a knee surgery. With all that in mind, it’s not difficult to see why the Canadian needed time off the ice to recover from the troubles. But looking at how he wasn’t allowed to play in the Oilers’ first match of the playoffs, and Matthew Tkachuk is likely to suit up for the Panthers against the Bolts at the Amalie Arena, one is bound to question the NHL’s MO at this point.

Naturally, fans are astonished by how Matthew Tkachuk got the green signal to hit the ice while Kane wasn’t able to do the same. “@FriedgeHNIC thought the NHL is coming down on the LTIR rule lol I swear once the oilers do it the whole game changes,” one fan noted their amusement at how the Panthers and the Oilers were dealt very different treatments by the North American hockey apex body. Others were quick to come with blazing guns of their own.

Hockey fans can’t get on board with Matthew Tkachuk’s imminent return to action

The battle of Florida will come to delight fans for the second straight year. The Tampa Bay Lightning and the Florida Panthers both posted two victories against each other in the regular season. What’s more, in the last 20 meetings of the Eastern Conference giants, the score is tied 10-10. Naturally, with the prospect of Matthew Tkachuk being back in the team, Panthers fans have been highly hopeful of the squad’s success, despite hockey pundits agreeing to give the series to Tampa Bay already. But, understandably, many fans from Florida’s opposing camps aren’t okay with the American getting to play while stars like Kane, and the Dallas Stars’ Miro Heiskanen have had to answer to the NHL. “Cool, explain how this isn’t an unjust league,” one fan wanted an explanation, stat.

“What a wonderful league!” another fan mocked the NHL for letting Tkachuk’s case slide while others had to serve time on the sidelines before getting their skating gear on. “This is crazy cuz Evander had like 7 injuries and the NHL’s suspicious about that and not this,” another fan’s baffled comment read. However, while the charges keep coming at him, it’s also true that Matthew Tkachuk was probably eager to end his rough patch and just get back to playing again. Moreover, the fact that he even powered through a broken sternum last year to win the Stanley Cup gave the Panthers fans all the more reasons to believe that Matthew wouldn’t miss the chance to play in the playoffs for the world. But hey, when you’re the defending champs, potshots are bound to come!

“So just the Oilers aren’t allowed to have LTIR players play in Game 1, got it,” an account run by Oilers’ fans drew up its own conclusions after the Panthers shared the update on Tkachuk’s condition. The underlying tone of disappointment can hardly be overlooked. Are you also among the fans who feel this wasn’t expected of the NHL to overlook Matthew’s possible return in Game 1 against the Bolts? Or are you just happy to see him back? Tell us your thoughts in a comment!