Matthew Tkachuk Gets Honest About Surgery Post Stanley Cup Celebrations

Matthew Tkachuk really stepped up for the Panthers in the postseason, and it’s pretty impressive given how serious his injury was. He missed the end of the regular season because of a torn adductor muscle and a sports hernia from the 4 Nations Face-Off, but he made it back just in time for Game 1 of the playoffs and played through all 23 games. Even though Coach Paul Maurice admitted, “He was a mess. That’s the medical term. He was a mess.”

Tkachuk did a great job managing his ice time—steering clear of big hits while still making an impact—and ended up tying for the team lead in postseason scoring with 23 points (8 goals, 15 assists), right there with Sam Reinhart and Carter Verhaeghe (according to ESPN). He even cemented his legend status by scoring a goal in Game 6 of the final. That first-period wrist shot was perfectly timed, giving the Panthers a 2-0 lead and leading to a solid 5-1 win over Edmonton. And now that the season has concluded, there’s been an update on Tkachuk’s injury.

Jameson Olive, the Sr. Digital Content Manager for the Florida Panthers, shared on X that “Tkachuk says it’s going to take a few weeks to figure out if he needs surgery this offseason, but ‘it’s probably 50-50 right now.’ Regardless, ‘It’s going to be the best summer yet.'” Which puts into context just how much he battled to help Florida get that second cup.

“I don’t know yet,” Matthew Tkachuk said about the surgery. “I’ve gotta go through some steps here and then see if I need surgery or not. It’s it’s gonna take a few weeks to determine if I need it. Probably 50-50 right now. I don’t know if it’ll be a normal summer or not. I hope so. I’m just gonna jump right into surgery without talking to everybody and going through everything. I mean, I have a few weeks here where I can figure it out.”

Surgery or not, Matthew Tkachuk has an eventful summer ahead of him. After all, he is set to wed his fiancee, Ellie Connell this summer. But before the wedding, there’s still a Stanley Cup win to celebrate.

Matthew Tkachuk embraced a moment with a teammate

After Florida clinched their back-to-back Stanley Cup Final win, a social media video surfaced that really grabbed a lot of attention. It showed the bond between Matthew Tkachuk and Brad Marchand. “Love you f***ing brother,” Tkachuk said, to which Marchand responded, “Love you too, baby.” Enemies turned allies; it’s hardly the outcome anyone could’ve predicted as their rivalry simmered during February’s 4 Nations Face-Off/

During that mini-tournament, Tkachuk really put it out there when he said, “It’s our time right now.” Marchand didn’t waste any time firing back after Canada snagged the title. He mentioned, “Sometimes when you shoot your mouth off in the media, it bites you.” So, when Marchand made the move from Boston to Florida in March, a familiar face showed up in the Panthers’ dressing room, and Tkachuk was there to welcome him with open arms.

“It’s been unreal having him in. And he’s got what everybody wants in this league, and that’s that winning pedigree and being a champion and having that experience. And I think that’s what our team’s greatest strength is… we might not be the most skilled team, we might not be the most fast, we might not be the most physical, but we’re a deep team and we have the experience,” Matthew Tkachuk shared about Marchand. Eventually, it really came down to mutual respect that naturally developed as teammates.