FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — Matthew Tkachuk returned to the ice with the Florida Panthers for Sunday’s practice for the first time this season, more than four months after he underwent surgery to repair a sports hernia and torn adductor muscle.
Tkachuk hasn’t played in a game since Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Finals, when the Panthers defeated the Edmonton Oilers for their second straight championship. He spent the summer trying to recover, but ultimately decided he needed surgery.
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He wore a yellow non-contact jersey, which suggested he wasn’t ready to play. Florida State hosts Washington on Monday and Montreal on Tuesday before hosting the NHL Winter Classic against the New York Rangers at Marlins Stadium in Miami on Friday.
The Panthers are scheduled to practice on the field Thursday.
After the Panthers won their second consecutive Stanley Cup in June, Tkachuk revealed that he suffered the injury while playing for Team USA in the Four Nations tournament in February. He missed the final 25 games of the regular season but returned in Game 1 of the Panthers’ first-round series against the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Tkachuk had 23 points with eight goals and 15 assists in 23 playoff games, including seven points in the Stanley Cup Final.
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The Panthers have been without a number of key players all season, including captain Alexander Barkov. They entered Sunday tied for the second and final wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference, just five points behind the Atlantic Division lead.
Florida State is coming off the season with Tkachuk expected to return on a “around December” timetable. He has said he hopes to compete in the Winter Classic, the Panthers’ first outdoor game, and represent Team USA at the Milan-Cortina Olympics in February.
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AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl