{"id":418190,"date":"2026-01-20T17:08:47","date_gmt":"2026-01-20T17:08:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/418190\/"},"modified":"2026-01-20T17:08:47","modified_gmt":"2026-01-20T17:08:47","slug":"tkachuk-is-back-for-the-panthers-will-it-be-enough-to-spark-a-run-to-the-playoffs-national-sports-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/418190\/","title":{"rendered":"Tkachuk is back for the Panthers. Will it be enough to spark a run to the playoffs? | National Sports"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) \u2014 Matthew Tkachuk is back with the Florida Panthers, ready to help the back-to-back Stanley Cup champions try to return to the playoffs and start tuning up to play for USA Hockey at next month&#8217;s Milan Cortina Olympics.<\/p>\n<p>Tkachuk \u2014 who <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/florida-panthers-matthew-tkachuk-d145c665e0507be0bd3cbcd947b9984c\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">had surgery<\/a> to repair a torn adductor and sports hernia over the summer, about two months after helping the Panthers win their second straight Stanley Cup \u2014 played Monday night against San Jose. It was his first game since <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/stanley-cup-nhl-playoffs-8a87ac5a24afb90cf482a89b15ad23c0\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">hoisting the Cup<\/a> in June.<\/p>\n<p>kAm\u201cxV&gt; 766=:?8 8C62E] yFDE D@ 6I4:E65 E@ 36 324&lt;[Q %&lt;249F&lt; D2:5 27E6C E96 E62&gt;VD &gt;@C?:?8 D&lt;2E6] QxE H2D 2 =:EE=6 @G6C 7:G6 &gt;@?E9D D:?46 E96 DFC86CJ[ D@ ;FDE 49@&gt;A:?8 2E E96 3:E E@ 4@&gt;6 324&lt;[ C62==J] p?5[ J629[ 92AAJ E92E E96 52J \ud83d\ude00 7:?2==J 96C6] x H2D?\u2019E 4@&gt;:?8 324&lt; F?E:= x H2D 766=:?8 `__T] x 42&gt;6 324&lt; ?@E `__T @?6 E:&gt;6[ 2?5 E92E\u2019D @?=J 2 A=2J@77 E9:?8[ D@ x\u2019&gt; 92AAJ H:E9 E96 H9@=6 C64@G6CJ AC@46DD]\u201dk^Am<\/p>\n<p>        kAmw6 D&lt;2E65 ;FDE F?56C a` &gt;:?FE6D 2?5 925 E9C66 D9@ED @? ?6E \ud83d\ude15 2 c\\` =@DD E@ E96 $92C<\/p>\n<p>kAm\u201c!6CD@?2==J[ x H:== D2J :E H2D DF49 2 C6=:67 2?5 ?:46 E@ 36 @FE E96C6[\u201d %&lt;249F&lt; D2:5 27E6CH2C5[ 24@H=658:?8 E96 7:CDE A6C:@5 H2D H6:C5] \u201cx 76=E 36EE6C 2D :E H6?E 2=@?8]\u201dk^Am<\/p>\n<p>kAm%&lt;249F&lt; 925 &gt;:DD65 ?62C=J 2 7F== J62C \u2014 fa 82&gt;6D @G6C &#8220; `^a &gt;@?E9D \u2014 @7 C68F=2C\\D62D@? 9@4&lt;6Jj 96 4@F=5?VE A=2J \ud83d\ude15 E96 7:?2= ad 82&gt;6D =2DE D62D@? 27E6C 86EE:?8 9FCE \ud83d\ude15 E96 c }2E:@?D u246\\~77 2?5 92D &gt;:DD65 E96 7:CDE cf 82&gt;6D @7 E9:D D62D@?]k^Am<\/p>\n<p>kAmw6 4@&gt;6D 324&lt; H:E9 bd 82&gt;6D C6&gt;2:?:?8 \ud83d\ude15 u=@C:52VD D62D@? 2?5 E96 !2?E96CD 6?E6C:?8 |@?52J 7@FC A@:?ED @FE @7 E96 D64@?5 H:=5\\42C5 DA@E \ud83d\ude15 E96 t2DE6C? r@?76C6?46]k^Am<\/p>\n<p>kAm\u201cw6VD C625J E@ A=2J[\u201d D2:5 !2?E96CD 4@249 !2F= |2FC:46[ 255:?8 E92E 96VD ?@E 8@:?8 E@ @G6C\\FD6 %&lt;249F&lt; C:89E @FE @7 E96 82E6] \u201c(6VC6 92AAJ E@ 92G6 9:&gt; 324&lt;[ 7@C DFC6]\u201dk^Am<\/p>\n<p>kAmu=@C:52 92D DE2J65 \ud83d\ude15 E96 C246 56DA:E6 92G:?8 %&lt;249F&lt;[ p=62D }@D6&lt; J6E E@ A=2J E9:D D62D@? 3642FD6 @7 :?;FC:6D 2?5 2 D=6H @7 @E96C A=2J6CD 7:==:?8 E96 :?;FC65 =:DE] s&gt;:ECJ zF=:&lt;@G[ y@?29 v25;@G:49 2?5 r@=6 $49H:?5E 92G6 2== &gt;:DD65 &gt;@DE @7 E96 D62D@?j @7 =2E6[ DE2?5@FED $6E9 y@?6D 2?5 qC25 |2C492?5 \u2014 H9@ 2C6 3@E9 D6E E@ 36 ~=J&gt;A:2?D[ y@?6D 7@C E96 &amp;]$] 2?5 |2C492?5 7@C r2?252 \u2014 92G6 &gt;:DD65 E:&gt;6 2D H6==]k^Am<\/p>\n<p>kAm\u201cxEVD D6G6?[ 6:89E 8FJD E92E 2E D@&gt;6 A@:?E 92G6 8@?6 5@H? \u2014 2E E96 D2&gt;6 E:&gt;6[ E@@[ H9:49 \ud83d\ude00 ?6G6C 62DJ[Q %&lt;249F&lt; D2:5] Q%96J\u2019G6 5@?6 2 8C62E ;@3 DE2J:?8 \ud83d\ude15 E96 7:89E] (:E9 E92E 36:?8 D2:5[ H6 92G6 E@ 8@ @? 2 CF? 96C6] (6VG6 8@E E@ 86E 324&lt; \ud83d\ude15 2 A=2J@77 DA@E] (6\u2019C6 ?@E 92AAJ H:E9 36:?8 @FE @7 E96 A=2J@77D[ 3FE E96J 92G6 5@?6 2? 2&gt;2K:?8 ;@3 @7 DE2J:?8 \ud83d\ude15 E96 7:89E[ D@ G6CJ AC@F5 @7 E96&gt; 7@C E92E]\u201dk^Am<\/p>\n<p>kAm%96 !2?E96CD H6?E bg\\b_\\c \ud83d\ude15 E9@D6 =2DE fa C68F=2C\\D62D@? 82&gt;6D E92E %&lt;249F&lt; &gt;:DD65[ &gt;62?:?8 E96J H@? 32C6=J &gt;@C6 E92? d_T @7 E96 E:&gt;6] qFE E96J H6?E `e\\f \ud83d\ude15 =2DE J62CVD A=2J@77D[ H:E9 %&lt;249F&lt; A=2J:?8 \ud83d\ude15 2== ab @7 E9@D6 4@?E6DED]k^Am<\/p>\n<p>kAmw6 8@E H92E H6?E :?E@ E96 C64@C5 3@@6 e @7 =2DE J62CVD 7:?2= D6C:6D 282:?DE t5&gt;@?E@?j u=@C:52 H@? E92E 82&gt;6 d\\`[ H:E9 $2&gt; #6:?92CE D4@C:?8 7@FC 8@2=D]k^Am<\/p>\n<p>kAm\u201cx\u2019&gt; 96C6 E@ 36 2 9@4&lt;6J A=2J6C[Q %&lt;249F&lt; D2:5] \u201cx\u2019&gt; ;FDE D@ 6I4:E65 E@ 36 324&lt; 2?5 x\u2019&gt; ?@E 96C6 E@ 4966C 7C@&gt; E96 D:56=:?6D] x 2&gt; 96C6 E@ 36 @FE E96C6 4@&gt;A6E:?8 H:E9 E96 8FJD[ 2?5 x 2&gt; ;FDE D@ 6I4:E65 E@ 36 5@:?8 E92E 2?5 ;FDE 36 2C@F?5 E96 8FJD 2?5 36 \ud83d\ude15 2 4@&gt;A6E:E:G6 6?G:C@?&gt;6?E 282:?] xE\u2019D ?@E =:&lt;6 x 42? ;FDE 5:A &gt;J E@6 =:&lt;6 x 92G6 2 AC6D62D@?] ]]] x\u2019G6 E@=5 E96&gt;[ \u2018x\u2019&gt; 4@&gt;:?8 324&lt;[ E9C@H &gt;6 \ud83d\ude15 E96 7:C6]\u2019 (6 ?665 E96D6 A@:?ED]\u201dk^Am<\/p>\n<p>k9C ^m<\/p>\n<p>kAmp! }w{i k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@&gt;^9F3^?9=Qm9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@&gt;^9F3^?9=k^2mk^Am<\/p>\n<p>        &#13;<br \/>\n                                &#13;<\/p>\n<p>        &#13;<\/p>\n<p>Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) \u2014 Matthew Tkachuk is back with the Florida Panthers, ready to help the back-to-back&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":418191,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[463,464],"tags":[911,5,4,292,60,52120,43,14,104,718],"class_list":{"0":"post-418190","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-nhl-playoffs","8":"category-stanley-cup-playoffs","9":"tag-athlete-injuries","10":"tag-hockey","11":"tag-nhl","12":"tag-nhl-hockey","13":"tag-nhl-playoffs","14":"tag-panthers-matthew-tkachuk","15":"tag-sports","16":"tag-stanley-cup","17":"tag-stanley-cup-playoffs","18":"tag-stanley-cup-playoffs-nhl"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nhl\/115928535126624323","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/418190","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=418190"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/418190\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/418191"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=418190"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=418190"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=418190"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}