Fort Lauderdale, Florida — Matthew Tkachuk was back on the ice with Florida Panthers On Sunday, he appeared in practice for the first time this season and more than four months after surgery to repair a sports hernia and torn adductor muscle.
Tkachuk has not played since Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Finals, when the Panthers won their second consecutive title by coming out on top again edmonton oilersHe continued trying to rehab over the summer but ultimately decided he needed surgery,
“He looks amazing,” Panthers forward carter verhaeghe Said. “It was good to see him back out there. He brought some energy for us today, that’s for sure.”
Tkachuk was wearing a yellow noncontact jersey, an indication that he was not ready for game action yet. Florida hosts it Washington on Monday and montreal On Tuesday, the home team for the NHL Winter Classic will be miami marlins‘Ballpark against New York Rangers On Friday.
The Panthers are scheduled to practice at the ballpark on Thursday, but there is no guarantee Tkachuk will play on Friday.
“He’s got a lot of things to go through. The question is whether he’s got enough time,” Panthers coach Paul Morrissey said. “He may be healthy enough or close enough to play, but we’re not speculating on it. … As much as we love the spectacle of it and we’d love to be a part of it — it would be great to see him out there for the game — the Florida Panthers need him to be healthy for the rest of the year.”
After the Panthers won their second consecutive Stanley Cup in June, Tkachuk revealed that he had suffered 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 in Game 1 of the Panthers’ first-round series. tampa bay lightning,
Tkachuk had 23 points in 23 playoff games – eight goals and 15 assists – including seven points in the Stanley Cup Finals.
The Panthers were without several key players throughout the season, including the captain Alexander BarkovThey entered Sunday tied for the second and final wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference, just five points off the lead in the Atlantic Division,
Florida went into this season with the expectation that Tkachuk would return on a “December-ish” timeline. He has said he wants to play for Team USA in the Winter Classic, the Panthers’ first outdoor game, and at the Milan Cortina Olympics in February.
“We will enjoy the talent upgrade,” Morris said. “He’s a great player. But that’s his personality. He’s chirping on the ice, right? He’s giving it to people. They’re laughing. He’s bringing a little joy to everybody. He’s funny on the bench. He has an incredible emotional intelligence as far as the game of hockey is concerned. When nothing needs to happen, he doesn’t do anything. When something needs to happen, he finds the right way.”
