When Matthew Tkachuk stepped onto the ice for Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final, few knew the extent of what he was pushing through. It turns out the Panthers star wasn’t just battling playoff pressure. He was taking to the ice while dealing with a torn adductor and a hernia, on the same side of his body.
The Back-to-back champions, Florida, got everything they could from the 27-year-old forward, who returned just in time for the playoffs after missing the final weeks of the regular season. He logged 23 points in 23 playoff games and scored a critical goal in the first period of Game 6, his eighth of the postseason.
Matthew Tkachuk Reveals Details about Injuries
“I tore my adductor off the bone. And I had some hernia thing, all on the same side,” Tkachuk revealed to NHL on TNT’s Darren Pang after Florida clinched its second consecutive championship with a 5–1 win over the Edmonton Oilers. “I didn’t think I’d be playing, or at least playing to my capabilities.”
Tkachuk was candid about the physical and mental challenges he faced throughout Florida’s playoff run. “I didn’t think this was possible,” he told Gene Principe of SportsNet. “I personally could’ve just thrown in the towel and gotten myself fixed up and missed out. There were days when I wanted to do that. But I knew this group was too special and we had a chance.”
Matthew Tkachuk just told @panger40 he’s been dealing with a torn adductor muscle OFF THE BONE 😳 pic.twitter.com/4FRGynFteC
— NHLonTNT (@NHL_On_TNT) June 18, 2025
Tkachuk credited Florida’s medical staff, other team staff, and his teammates for helping him find a way to stay in the lineup and manage the pain. “I owe a lot of people a lot of thank yous,” he said. “Our doctors, our trainers, our equipment guy, all of the support staff that doesn’t get a lot of credit — I would not be here without them.”
Despite playing at far less than 100 percent, Tkachuk said the team’s depth gave him the chance to ease back in. “It just shows how unbelievable our group is with depth and them allowing me to get my footing,” he said.
Matthew Tkachuk and the Panthers vibing out to “Pink Pony Club” while popping bottles. The ultimate rats 🐀
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>(via @NHL) pic.twitter.com/UHsGGYVKKr— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) June 18, 2025
Tkachuk has helped lead Florida to three consecutive Stanley Cup Final appearances and two championships in two years. His journey from Calgary to Florida has paid off. “Coming to Florida was one of the greatest things that ever happened to me,” the Scottsdale, Arizona native said. “I owe a lot of thanks to so many people for making that happen and for believing in me.”
