Matthew Tkachuk is a back-to-back Stanley Cup champion, but according to him, the journey to his latest title didn't come easily.
The Panthers star, after claiming his second-straight title Tuesday night with a win over the Oilers, revealed that he has been dealing with a torn adductor muscle that came "off the bone," as well as other serious ailments.
Tkachuk, who scored 23 points in Florida's postseason run, said he has a lot of people to thank for getting him healthy enough to play.
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Here's what to know about Tkachuk's injury and how he said it helped the 2025 Stanley Cup win feel "more rewarding."
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Matthew Tkachuk injury update
Tkachuk was originally sidelined starting in February after the 4 Nations Face-Off, dealing with what was called a groin injury. He did play around six minutes in America's 3-2 loss to Canada in the title game, but as he returned to the NHL, Tkachuk wound up missing around two months of action with his injury.
He returned to the ice for the first round of the playoffs against the Lightning, giving a boost to Florida for its playoff run. After winning the Stanley Cup, Tkachuk said that returning to the ice at all this season was never a given.
"This one's more rewarding to me. Just with everything personally that I had to overcome, I didn't know if I was going to be playing," Tkachuk said after winning another Stanley Cup. "I owe a lot of people a lot of thank yous. Doctors, medical team, our trainers ... I would not be here without them. I owe them this one."
Tkachuk, who posted eight goals and 15 assists in the playoffs, then provided more detail on the extent of his lingering injury. He called it a torn adductor muscle that came "off the bone," and that he had "some hernia thing, all on the same side."
"I wanted to throw in the towel a bunch of times," Tkachuk said. "I really didn't think I'd be playing, at least playing to my capabilities. So, the longer the playoffs went, the better I felt."
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
While Tkachuk was reflecting on his own individual journey, he also called the Panthers "a dynasty," saying that joining the team a few years ago was "one of the greatest things that's ever happened to me."
Matthew Tkachuk changed the Panthers organization when he arrived in 2022.
— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) June 18, 2025
Now, he is a two-time champion 🏆 pic.twitter.com/LaV1dddb1f