Lace bite to NHL breakout: Inside Mason Marchment’s hockey journey
Mason Marchment is in midsentence when a surprise intruder cuts him short.
And the Dallas Stars forward can’t resist the interloper.
“Sorry about that,” Marchment said on a recent call with ESPN. “I just got in and my dog couldn’t wait to say hi. He needs some attention.”
His pup might be the star at home, but it’s Marchment who’s in the NHL limelight. Which was, frankly, a long time coming.
These days Marchment is the toast of Dallas hockey, a top-six winger fresh from signing a four-year, $18 million contract last summer. Marchment was a hot name on the free-agent market after a breakthrough season in 2021-22 with the Florida Panthers, where he blew away all of his previous career marks, scoring 18 goals and 47 points in 54 games. It was no surprise then, when Marchment rolled into this season on a heater, posting a two-goal debut with the Stars and netting six points through his first four games.
“Honestly, it’s been awesome,” Marchment said of joining up with Dallas. “The Stars were definitely in my top three teams right off the bat in free agency. I’ve known [coach] Pete DeBoer and [assistant] Steve Spott for a little bit now just through the relationship that they had with my dad [former NHLer Bryan Marchment] so it just felt right. I definitely wanted to be comfortable when I came in. They had a great team here with a lot of young talent, so it all just made my decision pretty easy.”
What we’re seeing now is Marchment in his prime. But the 27-year-old is no overnight success.
Marchment was the definition of a late bloomer, his early career marred by the rejections to prove it. The Toronto-area native was passed over at 16 in the Ontario Hockey League draft and spent his next two years playing youth hockey before graduating, at 19, to the Ontario Junior Hockey League.
It was during that season Marchment physically took shape, reaching 6-foot-2 and wielding increased confidence along with his height. The OHL’s Erie Otters finally took notice and added Marchment for the 2014-15 campaign. His 26-point showing that season yielded no takers in the 2015 NHL draft, though, so the now-overage Marchment returned to juniors another season to be shipped around from Erie to Hamilton to Mississauga.
His last stop — during the Steelheads’ playoff run — put Marchment on the Toronto Maple Leafs‘ radar. His five-point performance helped Marchment land an amateur tryout with the club’s American Hockey League affiliate, the Toronto Marlies. That turned into an AHL contract for the following season and, eventually, a five-year stint with the organization. But that half-decade would be no ordinary opportunity for Marchment. It became the grind of his professional life, an all-out battle from part-time minor-league skater all the way to eventual Calder Cup champion in 2018.
Toronto started Marchment off in 2016 with a plan that involved playing no games while he worked instead with their stable of development coaches. Marchment was already in his early 20s then, a point when most players are anxious to establish their game on the ice. Marchment wanted that, too; he just lacked some of the tools to get there. So he embraced the Leafs’ proposal, and in doing so met a teacher who helped changed his life: skating coach Barb Underhill.
“I honestly don’t think I would be where I am without her,” he said.
IT WAS JUNE 6, 2016. The first time Underhill watched Marchment skate.
“He was just a gangly, overgrown, skinny kid,” Underhill recalled. “He had not grown into his body yet; that was the big thing I saw in him. I just remember thinking like, ‘Wow, this kid really needs to get stronger.'”
That wasn’t the only thing Marchment needed. Once the session was underway, Underhill instructed Marchment to get his knees over his toes and use more ankle flexion for balance on his blades. She was floored by his response.
“He said to me, ‘I can’t bend my ankle because I’ve had this chronic lace bite my whole life and it’s just too painful,'” she said. “I remember being so shocked, like, ‘What are you talking about?’ And I think he thought it was normal to just always be in pain when he skated. I was shocked, and it just made me angry that this was happening, but also just determined to help him.”
Underhill describes lace bite as “super, super, super painful, and it’s because your skates aren’t fitting right.” She and her staff convened immediately to figure out a path forward for Marchment. It would be the start of an unexpected journey for both of them.
“First, we got him a pair of skates that fit properly,” she said. “We just had to get him out of pain. And then he was taking a lot of really weird falls, like out-of-balance falls. At times he almost looked like a marionette in how he would collapse and just really be off balance. So it was trying to get him in a position where he could play heavy, where he wouldn’t get pushed over. And in that initial time together we just formed a nice trust, and we had a good bond from the very beginning, because I think he could tell that I cared and really wanted to help him out.”
Marchment remained an eager pupil. He admits that “coming up, I was never the best skater” and the chance to work with Underhill was too good not to invest in. He could also appreciate her no-nonsense approach to creating improvements.
“I remember when we first started, she said to me, ‘If you give me 100%, I’ll give you 100%,'” Marchment said. “She’s one of the best if not the best out there, a great person, and just easy to get along with and talk to. She was probably the biggest piece for me playing [professionally] and moving up into the NHL ranks. She definitely has a big spot in my journey to making it.”
Underhill believes she logged more one-on-one time with Marchment than any player in her career. It was inevitable they’d become close, especially when Marchment grappled with being on the sidelines.
“I was there with him through a lot of very vulnerable times,” she said. “When he wasn’t even playing [in 2016-17], a lot of the work was not just skating, but it was personal. It was motivating and encouraging and like, ‘Come on; let’s get at this.'”
Those tactics became a staple in their relationship. After Marchment’s initial development stretch, he was sent down to the ECHL’s Orlando Solar Bears for a 35-game stint in 2017. He played only home games there, until the Marlies — satisfied with his progress — called Marchment back into the fold. At last, Marchment was ready to grab a permanent AHL role for the 2017-18 season. That would be the campaign in which Toronto won its first Calder Cup, and Marchment — playing a fourth-line role primarily with Trevor Moore and Adam Brooks — scored twice in the Cup-clinching victory, including what would be the game-winning goal.
Underhill said the ensuing on-ice celebration was “amazing — to be in that moment with him and see part of his dream come true after the journey we had taken was so cool.” It was the road thereafter that became rocky.
Right as Marchment was hitting his stride a series of injuries — including back-to-back shoulder issues — threatened his future. The second of those shoulder problems happened during Leafs training camp in 2019, and the ensuing surgery delayed Marchment’s potential of working into an NHL lineup. Underhill was back in motivation mode.
“I’ll never forget when he blew the shoulder out again,” Underhill said. “Just seeing him at the lunch table, I felt crushed for him, after all the work that he did to get back. And I just went and hugged him, and I was like, ‘Come on, you can do this’ and I can remember multiple times saying, ‘Look, this adversity, anybody at the top has gone through it, anybody that ever makes it has gone through major adversity.’ I had his back.”
Her positive attitude rubbed off.
“I definitely had my fair share of injuries in Toronto,” Marchment said. “That’s never easy and you have to grind through those and come out better on the other side is the way I look at those. I had a really good support system in Toronto and just having those people around through a lot of the tough times when I was getting hurt and things weren’t really going the way I wanted them to be was huge.”
Marchment did eventually suit up with the Leafs, making his NHL debut on Jan. 2, 2020. Barely a month later, after four appearances with the club, Toronto traded Marchment to Florida for Denis Malgin. The Leafs were overstocked with forwards, so the move gave Marchment a fresh start elsewhere. Still, the news devastated Underhill.
“I remember not being very happy with [Leafs general manager] Mr. [Kyle] Dubas at the time,” she said. “But I knew also that it might be the best thing for him, and I said that to him because I’m sure it was a shock to him as well. And it was the best thing because there was an opening there for him and an opportunity and he made the most of it. That was a big part of him getting to where he is right now.”
Timing, as they say, is everything. Marchment packed his bags and headed south believing he was better off than when Toronto first brought him in.
“I think the biggest thing for me was learning to play a complete game,” Marchment said. “Coming out of junior and really just growing up, I always just liked to play offense. I knew when I got to the pros, at least initially I wasn’t going to be the guy that they go to in those situations and I had to learn to basically play a different role. Being in Toronto taught me that I’ve got to play a different role and play a different way. That definitely helped my complete game going forward.”
SAM REINHART PROBABLY heard Marchment before he saw him.
His new Panthers teammate had that sort of energy.
“The first thing I think of with him is how he was in the room. He’s a personality,” Reinhart said. “He’s going to be himself no matter what, and guys are drawn to that. He’s such a popular and likable guy. It’s an unbelievable trait to have. No matter how he’s doing on the ice, off the ice, he’s the same. He just carries himself in such an awesome way.”
Marchment glided his way into Florida after another brief turn in the AHL. Reinhart was still with the Sabres during Marchment’s first full season with the Panthers (2020-21), where Marchment notched two goals and 10 points through the COVID-19-shortened campaign.
In April 2021, Marchment signed a one-year deal to stay with the Panthers. Reinhart joined the club via trade later that offseason, then signed a three-year contract.
Marchment’s breakout started — in part — when he linked up on a line with Reinhart, their off-ice synergy apparent on a unit with Anton Lundell. That trio played a significant role in Florida’s dominant, President’s Trophy winning 2021-22 season, collecting a combined 173-point effort that ramped up throughout the campaign. On Jan. 31, 2022, Marchment recorded a six-point night in the Panthers’ win over Columbus, and then tallied his first-ever NHL hat trick the following month.
“We had really good chemistry from day one, honestly,” Marchment said. “I really enjoy Sam as a person and a friend. We were close off the ice and we were really close on the ice. We would talk on the bench a lot; we were pretty good at communicating with each other. He’s a really good player, a really easy guy to play with.”
That line kept producing, and suddenly Marchment was on everyone’s radar. He took the mounting accolades in stride, while knowing full well they didn’t happen by accident.
“I always believed that I was capable of getting there; it just had to be the right opportunity at the right time,” Marchment said. “When I went to Florida, [then-head coach Joel Quenneville] he really gave me a good opportunity to succeed and put me in the right places. He’s the reason I started flourishing, because he put me in those positions where I was going to succeed. It just took off from there.”
If Marchment is humble in his personal assessments, Reinhart is happy to brag about him. He got to know “a little bit” about Marchment’s career trek, and felt struck by the perseverance Marchment displayed to reach his target.
“It was a long path for him going through Toronto and slowly working his way up,” Reinhart said. “But to see the confidence he has in himself, and his game is pretty incredible. I think as soon as he came here, he took his game to a whole other level, and it doesn’t look like he’s slowing that down any time soon.”
The same thought occurs to Moore, Marchment’s former linemate with the Marlies. He shares a similar story to Marchment’s, going undrafted into the Leafs’ organization and battling his way into a regular role now with the Los Angeles Kings.
That shared history of growing pains bonded Moore and Marchment for almost three AHL seasons, through which Moore could see — well before the rest — Marchment’s ultimate destiny.
“I think people thought of him as just a bigger guy who’s going to hit and be tough, but there was always that skill there,” Moore said. “Like with the toe drags and the shot and the way he saw the ice. That just kept growing every year. Looking at him now and seeing him in the NHL, it’s amazing. There’s all the stuff that he can do as a top-six forward, but it’s not too, too surprising having seen all the steps that he’s taken in the past.”
Marchment is still a tough customer — just ask his supposed friends. Moore experienced that firsthand when his Kings faced Marchment’s Stars earlier this season.
“It was pretty cool, lining up against him the first shift in the starting lineup of an NHL game,” Moore said. “And then he goes and takes a run at me. The full circle moment was a little bit dampened. No, it was good. It’s really cool to see that we’ve both made it this far and I’m happy about it for him.”
MARCHMENT COMES BY that killer instinct naturally. His father Bryan had it, too.
For 15 years, the elder Marchment was a bruising, hard-nosed NHL defender who also laced up briefly for the Leafs. After his playing career, Bryan transitioned into front office positions, his last with the San Jose Sharks.
It was while working for the Sharks at the 2022 draft in Montreal that Bryan passed away suddenly on July 6. He was 53. No cause of death was ever publicly revealed.
The younger Marchment respectfully declines to talk about his father and what transpired last summer. The loss of his family’s patriarch was clearly gut-wrenching. Somehow, Marchment found his way forward — like so many times before — and showed in the wake of intense grief what a special person his father helped raise.
“I think it was [three weeks] out [from Bryan’s death], and I was actually able to see him at [Brandon Montour‘s] wedding in Nashville,” Reinhart said. “For him to be a few weeks from going through something like that — and obviously he wasn’t doing great and was having a hard time with it — for him to put that aside for somebody he’s so close with in Monty and to be able to come to the wedding and show up for him and put on a brave face, I just had so much respect for someone like him doing that. It just shows the kind of man he is and the friend he is.”
Reinhart and Marchment are still close now — Marchment’s girlfriend Alexis will be a bridesmaid in Reinhart’s upcoming wedding — and they’ll take any opportunity to tee it up on the golf course. That will have to wait until summer though; both Reinhart and Marchment hope their teams are on track for a long run ahead.
For Marchment, this season came stacked with expectations akin to producing on a big-ticket contract. Although in famously laid-back fashion, he hasn’t exactly been sweating those details.
“Nothing changes for me,” Marchment said. “I just have the same mindset that you’ve got to work hard every day and try to get better every day. I think with all the added pressures and stuff like that, it even makes more sense to just keep doing the same things. Don’t worry about the outside noise and just have fun and go out there and work hard.”
It’s a perspective that has served Marchment well in achieving this current level — something even his staunchest supporters weren’t sure was in the cards.
“It blows my mind,” Underhill said of Marchment’s NHL success. “I really didn’t see that for him early on. I don’t think anybody did. But there was something about this kid where he just kept kicking, he just kept going and nothing could hold him down.”
That includes the void left by his father. It was six days after Bryan’s death that Marchment signed with the Stars. Even if dad never got the chance to see him in that uniform, there’s no doubt who Marchment is thinking about every night on that ice. Or that a proud father is watching him from somewhere.
“He’s playing for his dad,” Reinhart said. “He’s got that extra incentive. For people to finally notice him, it’s definitely time for him to get some recognition. I’m thrilled to see him doing well. He’s got a massive fan in me and all the support in the world from me.”
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Greg Wyshynski
When Florida Panthers star Matthew Tkachuk raised the Stanley Cup over his head for the second straight season, the on-ice celebration included two of the most important people in his life: Father Keith Tkachuk, who played 18 seasons in the NHL; and brother Brady Tkachuk, captain of the Ottawa Senators.
Keith was smoking cigars and hoisting the Cup with Matthew around the arena. Brady was holding a beer and diligently avoiding contact with the Cup, as superstition dictates that an NHL player should never touch it if they’ve never won it before.
The celebration was another memorable moment for the Tkachuk boys and their father. This month, another one arrived: The trio graces the cover of EA Sports’ NHL 26 Deluxe Edition.
“Growing up, Matthew and I dreamed of playing just like our dad,” Brady Tkachuk said. “Even now, his influence on how we play and prepare remains huge. It’s an honor to be featured on the cover. Having him standing alongside us makes the whole thing even better.”
We spoke with Matthew and Brady Tkachuk recently about their video game history, the Panthers’ wild offseason, Brady’s future in Ottawa, Matthew’s health heading into next season and their thoughts on the new NHL collective bargaining agreement.
But first, we asked two of the first players named to the 2026 U.S. men’s Olympic ice hockey team about chasing gold. Responses were edited for length and clarity.
You guys became USA Hockey legends after the 4 Nations Face-Off, if you weren’t already. Obviously, the tournament did not end the way Americans wanted. Is winning Olympic gold in the 2026 Winter Games in Italy the ultimate revenge on our friends in Canada?
MATTHEW TKACHUK: I don’t even know if you look at it as revenge, but it’s been a long time coming since USA Hockey’s been at the top of the mountain. Canada’s owned the Olympics or World Cups or even the world championships, although we got that back a little bit this year. They’ve been the leader in all of that and the team that we’ve all been trying to knock off.
I don’t think it’d be as much as revenge than showing how far along USA Hockey has come. We’ve had some incredible players and national teams that we’ve looked up to our whole lives but that haven’t gotten the job done. So, not only would winning [gold] accomplish dreams for us, but hopefully it would bring a lot of satisfaction for those guys that paved the way for us.
Brady, you play in a Canadian city while trying to win Olympic gold for the Americans. What’s that dynamic like?
BRADY TKACHUK: Learning from experience, it’s a little bit of a different position to be in. All the people that support you on a day-to-day basis, now they don’t want you to win.
Your dream as kids is winning the Stanley Cup and winning a gold medal for your country. I know that’s always been our two main goals. But we got into hockey, and a lot of people got into hockey, from the 1980 Miracle on Ice. And now, we have an opportunity to pave the way for the next generation of kids in the U.S. that maybe wouldn’t be playing hockey if they didn’t get to experience USA Hockey in the Winter Olympics and potential gold medals.
There’s not just playing for ourselves in that locker room with that group, but you’re really playing for your country and you’re playing for the next generation of kids. And like Matthew said, you’re playing for the guys that have paved the way, that are to be so supportive and fired up to be watching.
You guys are NHL 26 cover athletes, along with your dad. We spoke to Keith recently, who reminisced about seeing the glow of a video game screen under the doors of your bedrooms, whether it was when you were younger or in Matt’s case, when he was playing in Calgary. What’s your brief history of playing video games together?
MATTHEW TKACHUK: Yeah, we would play. I think during COVID was probably the last time I religiously played, and that was when we were all under one roof before I had my house in St. Louis. Brady and I played a lot. NHL is definitely one of them. I think Brady has played more throughout his life than I have, and that was one of the things that he was much better at than I am. So, I didn’t really play too much against him.
We played the game like how you’d probably expect us to play: Turn off all the penalties, make all the guys really big and fast. It was like prison rules NHL. So, it was a lot of fun.
BRADY TKACHUK: I honestly feel like we had a pretty religious routine. Right after school, if it was a nice day, out for roller hockey then dinner and then we were playing NHL. We try to sneak in a best-of-seven if it was early enough, but it was a lot of fun. Either we played together or most of the time, we’re playing together against each other and it was a ton of fun.
Now that you’re in the NHL, what is the level of interest or concern among the boys when it comes to their EA Sports ratings? Do they still care?
MATTHEW TKACHUK: We don’t talk about it too much. I know that there’s one day, maybe it might be at the beginning of the year, which I guess is coming up here soon, where you go over your rating or you guess another player’s rating. I think where they get pissed off is when you guess their rating and it’s way lower than their actual rating is.
You’ve got to be careful with who the sensitive guys are on the team because you don’t want that to actually affect them — and you never know if it might. Hockey players are proud athletes. You want to have a decent rating.
BRADY TKACHUK: I’m probably one of the guys that will just play a game as the Sens to see where my rating is at, to see how good my guy is. This version is exciting because it’s more individual-based. You can see within the game how I am in real life, and that’s really cool and unique.
These ratings are always fun. And to be honest with you, I don’t know what the rating is going into this year’s game. I know they give a midyear bump and that’s the goal: That hopefully I get a midyear bump because that means I’m playing well.
Matthew, your name was recently listed by the White House as being part of the President’s Council on Sports, Fitness, and Nutrition, joining names like Wayne Gretzky and Mariano Rivera. How did you get involved in that?
MATTHEW TKACHUK: I’m not actually allowed to comment on that until it’s official yet. So, I have to wait on that a little bit. But I promise in a few weeks, if that comes true, I’ll answer that for you.
Let’s talk about something that did come true: The Florida Panthers somehow hanging on to Sam Bennett, Aaron Ekblad and Brad Marchand as free agents. How shocked were you that GM Bill Zito was able to pull that off?
MATTHEW TKACHUK: I don’t know if I was shocked. I think at the time, as a player and more importantly as a friend, you’re more worried that one of your buddies is going to go elsewhere. At the end of the day, you want your teammates and your best buddies to be happy with whatever decision they make. So, if that’s chasing a ton of money or if that’s going to where they want to play, you just got to be happy for them.
The best part about those three is they all believe in what we’re doing in Florida. They want to live in Florida, they want to play on a good team, and they want to have a great group of players surrounding them.
Out of all of them, I was most confident in [Ekblad] staying the most. Just because he’s been a lifelong Florida Panther. I just think it was going to be impossible for him to leave. And then the other guys … I mean, this was a chance for them to cash in. You just didn’t know if it was going to be with us or not.
I was surprised, though, that they were all able to stay. I thought that with the way the money was tied up, you didn’t know if it was going to be possible — and somehow it was. Everybody was taken care of so well.
Bill did a great job of making sure it could happen. You want your best buddies to be rewarded with how great they played and how great they’ve been up to this point. I think they all got rewarded very well, and I’m just so excited to have a chance to hopefully run it back with them this year.
When did you know about Marchand? Was it when he was smoking cigars on the back of a golf cart outside of the Elbo Room? At some point, were you just convinced the guy liked it down there vs. leaving as a free agent?
MATTHEW TKACHUK: Marchand, when he first got traded, I would’ve thought there was never a chance that we’re going to be able to keep everybody. As time goes on and you have success and you get to know guys and you get to know what their wants and desires are with the rest of their career — or where they want to live — you can start connecting the dots. People just don’t want to leave Florida when they come. I think that that is the case with them and everybody that’s been there.
The only time you’re going to see guys leave is if it’s such a crazy difference with money. Some of these guys that we’ve had the last few years have really cashed in with other teams, which we’re so happy to see. I think that’s really the only way you’re going to see guys go elsewhere.
We have too good of a thing going right now, and everybody wants to be a part of it.
Brady, your dad threw cold water on all the speculation about you leaving Ottawa when we spoke recently. How much did making the playoffs, showing the progress of the Senators, give you a sense of relief that maybe some of that speculation might go by the wayside now?
BRADY TKACHUK: Yeah, I think we really needed to make the playoffs to show everybody that we’re a team that’s capable of that, but also capable of doing more than just making the playoffs.
The last couple of years, it was kind of stagnant. We had high expectations and we didn’t quite accomplish what we needed to. And with that came doubt. But I think it showed with the steps that we took last year that we have a great hockey team. I think that we’re kind of just getting started with what we want to accomplish. Playoffs are great to get to, but that’s not our end goal. The sky’s the limit for our group.
I think [that success] helped with all the speculation. When things aren’t going well, people are always assuming or trying to think in my shoes. But I was kind of never really in that thought process. It was all about sticking it out. It’s been a long time coming, for not just our team but the city, to get into the playoffs. And I think it was really important to me to end that drought.
Through all that adversity that we faced with being the bottom five teams to finally get to the playoffs was an amazing feeling. But now that we got there, I think everybody wants a little bit more and wants to accomplish all of our childhood dreams.
Obviously, the season is getting closer. Brady, we saw you were training with Trevor Zegras this summer. What are your thoughts about him getting a fresh start in Philadelphia with the Flyers?
BRADY TKACHUK: Yeah, I drove up to Connecticut and skated with him. I’ve known ‘Z’ throughout the years but got to know him pretty well when we played world championships together. He’s a great guy, and I think it’s going to be great for him to get a fresh start in Philly and under Rick Tocchet. They have a great culture there, and I think he’s just going to do a good job of fitting in.
I’ve always thought playing against Philly that they play super hard, but they have a lot of great players with skill. So, I think that is going to be the best thing for him. I’m excited to see his progression this year and see how the change affects him. I bet that’s going to be for the good.
Matthew, you were dealing with some significant injuries by the end of last season and said it was “50/50” regarding offseason surgery. What’s your path for the next few months? Are you still hoping to maybe hit the ice in October?
MATTHEW TKACHUK: I’m still hoping to hit the ice as soon as possible. If I do get the surgery, it definitely will be the first two, maybe three months [of the season] if that’s the case. But it’s still undecided at this point.
Finally, the NHL and NHLPA have signed off on a new collective bargaining agreement. We haven’t heard from many players about this deal. What did you like? What did you wish was in it that didn’t make the cut?
BRADY TKACHUK: I think Marty [Walsh], Ron Hainsey and the NHLPA did a really good job. A lot of it came behind the scenes with the NHL. They kept it discreet.
I think it’s important that we did a four-year deal and to navigate where our league is in four years’ time. Obviously, there’s things that will probably trend and want maybe more of in four years’ time. But I think the changes that they made are exciting. The 84-game schedule [means] more hockey for people to come and watch. I think it’s going to be good.
Less preseason crap, too.
MATTHEW TKACHUK: Took the words right out of my mouth.
That’s the one main thing I like. I’ve never liked the preseason setup. I mean, guys do a great job of coming into [camp] in shape. There are the captain’s skates before the preseason because everyone wants to get back and see the boys. So, I think preseason has been overrated. It’s way too long, and the games are way too much. However they were able to shorten that, I was on board with that for sure.
Just get into the season. Just get on with it.
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Greg Wyshynski
Florida Panthers star Matthew Tkachuk said he remains undecided about getting surgery before the 2025-26 season but acknowledged he could miss significant time should he require it.
Tkachuk, 27, revealed after the season that he sustained a torn adductor muscle and a sports hernia injury while playing for Team USA in the 4 Nations Face-Off in February. He missed the final 25 games of the NHL regular season but returned for Game 1 of the Panthers’ first-round series against the Tampa Bay Lightning. Tkachuk had 23 points (8 goals, 15 assists) in 23 games during the playoffs, including seven points in the final against Edmonton, to lead the Panthers to their second straight Stanley Cup championship.
Coach Paul Maurice said his star forward was “a mess” healthwise heading into the postseason.
“We weren’t hopeful at the start that he would survive the first round,” he said.
Tkachuk said after the season that it was “50/50” whether he’d have surgery, adding that the offseason provided ample time to make that call. Tkachuk told ESPN on Friday that “I’m still hoping to hit the ice as soon as possible.” Should he decide to go under the knife, Tkachuk said, it’s likely he’ll miss multiple months of action.
“If I do get the surgery, it’ll definitely be the first two or maybe three months if that’s the case. But it’s still undecided at this point,” said the Panthers star, whose contract and cap hit could be placed on long-term injured reserve during his recovery.
It’s been a notable offseason for Tkachuk. He appears on the cover of EA Sports’ NHL 26 and is featured with brother Brady and father Keith on the cover of the game’s deluxe edition.
Matthew and Brady Tkachuk were among the first six players named to the 2026 U.S. men’s Olympic hockey roster for the Winter Games in Italy next year. Matthew Tkachuk also married fiancée Ellie Connell in July.
All of that was after another epic, multiday Stanley Cup celebration by the Panthers in Fort Lauderdale and Miami that featured spontaneous appearances at bars, clubs and beaches as well as a championship parade.
The Panthers’ chances for a third straight Stanley Cup received a boost this summer when GM Bill Zito was able to re-sign a trio of star veteran free agents: center Sam Bennett (8 years, $64 million), defenseman Aaron Ekblad (8 years, $48 million), and winger Brad Marchand (6 years, $31.5 million).
Tkachuk said that he wasn’t surprised that all three players wanted to remain with the Panthers but that he was amazed that Zito found a way to make the money work under the salary cap.
“I thought that the way the money was tied up, you didn’t know it was going to be possible, and somehow it was,” he said. “Everybody was taken care of so well, and Bill did a great job of making sure it could happen. I think they all got rewarded very well, and I’m just so excited to have a chance to hopefully run it back with them this year.”
Tkachuk said he was confident that Ekblad would return, having been a Panther since he was drafted by Florida first overall in 2014. He was a little less certain about Bennett and especially Marchand, who both had a chance to break the bank in free agency.
“When Marchand first got traded [at the deadline this spring], I would’ve thought there was never a chance that we were going to be able to keep everybody. But as time goes on and you have success and you get to know guys’ wants and desires for the rest of their career, you can start connecting the dots,” Tkachuk said. “People just don’t want to leave Florida when they come [here]. We have too good of a thing going right now, and everybody wants to be a part of it.”
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