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Panthers Star Reveals Uncertain Road Ahead with Potential Surgery Looming

Originally posted on Blade of Steel | By Tom Banks | Last updated Jun 21, 2025 3:54 PM ET

Matthew Tkachuk fought through major injuries in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, and now he's addressed an uncertain off-season that he's calling the best summer ever, with a major potential surgery looming for the Panthers star.

The Stanley Cup Playoffs bring the best out in hockey players, and year after years, we see players that play through excruciating pain to push for the ultimate prize, and in 2025, we saw that with several players.

While there were a few examples, none went through more than Matthew Tkachuk, who battled through a hernia and a torn adductor, earning him even more respect around the NHL.

Now, the Panthers star has opened up on a tough summer ahead, and while he reveals that it's going to be 50-50 on getting surgery, he's looking forward to the summer as he celebrates his second straight Stanley Cup win.

'It's not going to be a normal summer for me, but it's going to be the best summer yet.'

While the pain of going through this day after day must have been incredibly difficult, the joy of hoisting the Stanley Cup high above his head has been all worth it for Tkachuk, as he battled through several injuries to help his team get to this point.

In his interview, Tkachuk noted that he'll get some more scans over the coming weeks to decide whether or not he will need surgery to deal with the multiple injuries he fought through, and given how much he means to this team and the success they've had and will continue to have, he will have the support of the entire team as they look to accomplish a rare three-peat in 2026.

This article first appeared on Blade of Steel and was syndicated with permission.

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