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Jun 9, 2025; Sunrise, Florida, USA; Florida Panthers forward Matthew Tkachuk (19) puts a rat on the stick after the third period against the Edmonton Oilers in game three of the 2025 Stanley Cup Final at Amerant Bank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

Matthew Tkachuk Being Named NHL 26’s Cover Athlete Shows How Far the Panthers Have Come

Originally posted on The Hockey Writers | By Joey Ganzi | Last updated Aug 15, 2025 9:15 AM ET

After celebrating their second straight Stanley Cup – the first team to do so since the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2020 and 2021 – the Florida Panthers will look to become the first team since the New York Islanders in the early 1980s to win three consecutive championships.

On Aug. 8, the video game company Electronic Arts (EA) announced that Panthers forward Matthew Tkachuk will be on the cover of their upcoming EA Sports NHL video game series, NHL 26. It’s a testament to how far the franchise has come.

Tkachuk Is Not the Only Panther to Make the Cover

It’s been a while since a Panther graced the cover of a hockey video game.

One of the franchise’s first stars, goaltender John Vanbiesbrouck, was featured on the cover of NHL 97. The title was released in Sept. 1996 and was playable on PC, PlayStation 1, Sega Genesis, Sega Saturn, and Super Nintendo Entertainment System.

It Shows How Far the Team Has Come Since Then

When Vanbiesbrouck was on the cover of NHL 97, the team was still young and fresh off a Stanley Cup Final appearance, where they were swept by the Colorado Avalanche.

The Panthers made the playoffs the following season but fell to the New York Rangers in the first round. Between then and when they started their postseason clinching streak in the 2020-21 season, they would only see the postseason five times. Now, they’ve made it to three straight Stanley Cup Finals, ushering in a new era of Panthers hockey. This has included multiple championships.

Tkachuk Deserves to Be on the Cover

In Tkachuk’s first season as a Panther in 2022-23, he was named an All-Star. In 2023-24, he helped his team capture its first-ever Stanley Cup. Last season, he represented Team USA at the 4 Nations Face-Off tournament and won a silver medal. This summer, he was named to the Presidential Fitness Council alongside Wayne Gretzky and NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman.

Through 211 regular-season games over three seasons, Tkachuk has 88 goals and 166 assists. In the last three playoffs, he’s scored 25 goals and 44 assists.

Since joining the Panthers, he’s been a crucial part of the team’s success. The skill set he brings every single night is nearly video game performance, hence why he was selected.

What Is In Store for the Franchise and Tkachuk?

Tkachuk is not taking anything for granted, especially after general manager Bill Zito managed to keep the core together this summer. He and the team are looking to return to the Stanley Cup Final for the fourth straight season.

“These are opportunities that you can’t take for granted,” Matthew said. “When you have a team like this, you’ve got to make sure that you give everything you can, not matter what you’ve done in the past or not.”
– Matthew Tkachuk on the Florida Panthers roster

Additionally, he will also be joined by his brother, Ottawa Senators captain Brady Tkachuk, and his dad in Keith Tkachuk on the deluxe edition of the game. The new NHL game is a Tkachuk family reunion in disguise. The game will be released on Sept. 12 and be playable on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X and S.