Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

Matthew Tkachuk's Summer Photos Go Viral Despite Controversial Decision on Offseason Surgery

Originally posted on House of Hockey | By Tom Banks | Last updated Jul 28, 2025 5:51 PM ET

Matthew Tkachuk has had a big summer, and now photos of it have gone viral as the Panthers star continues to put off a major surgery.

Over the past few years, very few players in the National Hockey League have had a better run than Matthew Tkachuk, and after winning the Stanley Cup for a second time, he's had plenty to celebrate.

Tkachuk has done just that, being at the centre of the Panthers iconic Cup winning celebrations, before shortly following it up by getting married to his long-term partner, and even that was a chaotic celebration as well.

The NHLPA has celebrated Tkachuk on social media, but it's not quite had the effect they were potentially hoping for, especially after a recent report that revealed Tkachuk is currently putting off surgery that could force him to miss a significant amount of time in 2025/26.

Matthew Tkachuk Continues to Delay Crucial Off-Season Surgery

The surgery is needed due to a torn adductor and a sports hernia that he seemingly played through in the Stanley Cup Finals, but similar to Evander Kane a year ago, he's putting off the surgery that would allow him to return in the regular season.

As a result, it appears as though Tkachuk could miss a significant stretch, and as a result, placing him on Long Term Injured Reserve could be a godsend for a Florida Panthers team that is dealing with salary cap issues after several big time extensions this off-season.

Ultimately, there may be another reason why Tkachuk has put off the surgery, and perhaps one day that will be revealed, but for now, it's hard not to look further into this situation as the Panthers look to save money, with the star winger now set to miss a significant stretch of the upcoming season.

This article first appeared on House of Hockey and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: