Matthew Tkachuk is one of the toughest players in hockey. He is famous for playing even when he is badly hurt. Tkachuk played in the 2023 finals even with a broken chest bone, and helped his team win another trophy in 2025 while dealing with a painful muscle tear.

His parents and brothers are also big names in hockey, so he grew up knowing how to push through the pain. However, some injuries are too serious to ignore. After winning his second championship in a row, he finally had to take a long break. Matthew Tkachuk spent the first half of the current 2025-26 season resting and getting stronger so he could be ready for the big games and the Olympics.

What Injuries Has Matthew Tkachuk Suffered in His Career?

In the 2022-23 season, Matthew suffered a very serious broken sternum, the bone in the middle of the chest. This happened during the most important games of the year. While it was a severe injury that made it hard for him to even breathe, he tried to play through until his physical strength gave up.

More recently, during the 2024-25 season, he suffered a torn adductor muscle and a sports hernia. These are injuries in the hip and stomach area that make it very hard to skate fast or turn quickly. While these weren’t as “scary” as a broken bone, they were very painful and lasted a long time.

He also had a few smaller issues with his wrists and a concussion earlier in his career, but those didn’t keep him out as long as his chest and hip problems.

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Matthew Tkachuk Injury Timeline: Year-by-Year Breakdown

If we look back at his history, his injury timeline shows just how much his body has been through.

During the 2017-18 season with the Calgary Flames, he had an upper-body injury that kept him out for 12 games. Later, in the 2019-20 season, he suffered a concussion during the playoffs and had to miss 5 games. These early injuries showed that his hard-hitting style would come with a cost.

The most intense injury was in 2023, though, when he broke his sternum and missed the final game of the Stanley Cup series.

Then, in the 2024-25 season, he hurt his hip and stomach area during a tournament in February. He missed 25 games at the end of that regular season but came back for the playoffs.

Finally, he had surgery in August 2025 and missed the first 47 games of the 2025-26 season while recovering.

Did Matthew Tkachuk Undergo Surgery for Any Injuries?

Matthew had a major surgery on August 22, 2025. This was done to fix the torn muscle and the sports hernia he had been playing with for months.

The surgery was successful, but the recovery was long. He had to wait about five months before he could even start practicing with his teammates.

The surgery helped his future performance. Before the surgery, he was playing through a lot of pain and couldn’t move as well as he wanted to. Now that he is healed, he can skate properly with his usual aggressive style without worrying about his hip or stomach hurting.

How Have Injuries Affected Matthew Tkachuk’s Performance?

Even when he is hurt, Matthew still finds ways to score.

Before his hip injury, he was scoring more than one point per game. Even after he was hurt in early 2025, he managed to score 23 points in 23 playoff games.

However, his role on the team did change a little when he was injured.

His coaches had to be careful with how much time he spent on the ice. They sometimes gave him shorter shifts or let him focus more on the power play so he wouldn’t have to get into as many big hits. Since returning from his big surgery in 2026, he has been slowly getting back to his normal ice time as he regains his full strength.

What Is Matthew Tkachuk’s Current Injury Status?

Matthew Tkachuk is currently active. He officially returned to the Florida Panthers lineup on January 19, 2026. He has been playing in all the regular games since his return. Tkachuk is even playing for Team USA in the Winter Olympics.