Latest news with #FourNationsFace-Off
Time of India
an hour ago
- Sport
- Time of India
Matthew Tkachuk played through a torn adductor and hernia to win the Stanley Cup—now faces surgery decision
Photo byWhen the Florida Panthers clinched their second straight Stanley Cup on June 21 with a commanding 5-1 victory over the Edmonton Oilers, few realized just how much pain one of their stars had endured to help bring the championship home. Matthew Tkachuk revealed after Game 6 that he had played through a torn adductor and a hernia for the entire 2025 postseason. The injury, which dates back to February, didn't stop him from tallying 23 points across 23 games. Now, as the celebrations cool off, Tkachuk faces an uncertain summer—one that may include surgery. The Panthers star revealed the full extent of his injury after Florida clinched back-to-back championships—his offseason now hinges on a 50-50 call about surgery Matthew Tkachuk first sustained the injury during the Four Nations Face-Off on February 17, when he was representing Team USA in a 3-1 win over Canada. It was the third period of that international showdown when things went wrong. Speaking to reporters after Saturday night's Stanley Cup clincher in Sunrise, Florida, the 27-year-old said, 'I feel good. Definitely way better after a win. Should be all good.' But the road back wasn't as straightforward. Following the injury, Tkachuk missed the final 25 games of the regular season. At the time, the Panthers only publicly described it as a groin issue. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Here's A List Of Cheapest Steel Suppliers (See The List) Steel Suppliers | search ads Search Now Undo On March 3, general manager Bill Zito told reporters, 'Matthew's going to be out for an extended period of time. We hope to get him back for the playoffs.' He returned just in time for the postseason, though his minutes were limited early on. In the first-round series against the Tampa Bay Lightning, Tkachuk was kept under 14 minutes of ice time in three of five games as he worked his way back into form. Despite the physical toll, Tkachuk delivered when it counted most—ending the playoffs with eight goals and 15 assists. His final goal came in the opening period of the championship-clinching Game 6 against the Oilers. Still, his offseason remains clouded with uncertainty. Speaking at the Panthers' post-game media availability on Saturday, Tkachuk shared, ' It's 50-50 right now if I'll need surgery ,' adding that he has more tests scheduled before a final decision is made. The recovery time for adductor surgery typically ranges from six to eight weeks. Florida Panthers' Stanley Cup repeat: Grit, pain, and legacy With the Panthers now cementing themselves as a modern-day dynasty—making the Stanley Cup Final three years in a row and winning it in back-to-back seasons—Tkachuk's toughness has become part of the team's larger legacy. His postseason resilience is a reminder of just how far players push their limits when the Cup is on the line. Whether or not he ends up undergoing surgery, Tkachuk's performance in the 2025 playoffs will be remembered as one of the grittiest of his career. Also Read: 'Get this shit the f**k off my Screen!': NHL fans rip Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce's screen time during Stanley Cup final Follow all the live updates, scores, and highlights from the India vs England Test match here . Game On Season 1 kicks off with Sakshi Malik's inspiring story. Watch Episode 1 here
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Stanley Cup Final: Florida Panthers, Matthew Tkachuk can repeat with 1 more win vs. Edmonton
FORT LAUDERDALE — The playoffs were about to begin, and among the many reasons Paul Maurice had to feel good about his Florida Panthers was the one variable coaches can't control. 'We were healthy,' Maurice said. Advertisement Check that. 'Matthew was the only question mark,' he said. Forward Matthew Tkachuk, it turns out, was a bigger question mark than some thought. He suffered a groin injury in the Four Nations Face-Off that ended his regular season in February — but revealed on the eve of Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final against the visiting Edmonton Oilers just how close he came to not being available at least when the playoffs began. 'I did not think I was going to be playing,' Tkachuk said before correcting himself. 'I shouldn't say that. I thought there was maybe a 50 percent chance I wouldn't be playing as close to about a week or five days before the playoffs.' Matthew Tkachuk on hot line with Sam Bennett and Evan Rodrigues Jun 12, 2025; Sunrise, Florida, USA; Florida Panthers forward Matthew Tkachuk (19) celebrates scoring during the first period against the Edmonton Oilers in game four of the 2025 Stanley Cup Final at Amerant Bank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jim Rassol-Imagn Images If the Panthers clinch their second consecutive Stanley Cup with a victory, it would not be because Tkachuk played a minor role. Tkachuk has two goals and three assists in the past three games, playing on a red-hot line with Sam Bennett, who leads the NHL in playoff goals with 15, and Evan Rodrigues (15 points). Tkachuk and Bennett are tied for fourth in postseason scoring with 22 points in 22 games. Advertisement Of course with Tkachuk it's more than statistics. He's a big part of the heart and soul of the Panthers. He gets under opponents' skin with his spunk. Spunk is what it took for Tkachuk to get back to form. He was limited to less than 12 minutes in his first game back, in the playoffs vs. Tampa Bay. 'Nowhere close to what I expected out of myself,' Tkachuk said. 'Because he played the game with a broken collarbone,' Maurice said. Although Tkachuk had two goals and one assist in that 6-2 victory, Maurice figures it wasn't until the second and third rounds, against Toronto and Carolina, that Tkachuk was Tkachuk. Advertisement 'He had come to full health but there's still the mental part about how far do you want to stress that, taking hits and giving hits and things like that,' Maurice said. Panthers have had mixed luck with close-out games Close-out games like this haven't been kind to the Panthers. They lost three straight close-out opportunities against the Oilers in last year's Cup Final before closing the deal at home. This year, they needed two tries to finish off the Maple Leafs and Hurricanes, losing the first close-out game at home before winning both Game 7s on the road. 'When you're playing a team that their backs are against the wall, it's important to come out with a good start both sides,' Tkachuk said. ' … They're in a different situation right now. I think this is their first elimination game of the playoffs. So that's a different wrinkle for things. And for us, we've played one Game 7. So maybe we have a tiny advantage with knowing the desperation that they're going to come out with. But we have to match that desperation.' Advertisement Maurice sounds understanding as to why Florida needed multiple tries to close out those series, although he could do without flying back to Edmonton for another Game 7 on June 20. 'So you've played well and you've put yourself in a position to eliminate the other team,' Maurice said. 'It's not guaranteed, because the other team is pretty darn good. So there's nothing learned where you'd say, 'OK, now we've figured it out,' because if you figure that out, you'd win next year — you'd win 16 straight, right? It doesn't work like that.' Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch has pushed every button in this series, flip-flopping goaltenders Stuart Skinner and Calvin Pickard and mixing up his lines. Some of it worked. Some. Oilers star Conner McDavid has played 12 playoff games against the Panthers these past two seasons. He has scored in only three of them, a total of four goals. He has one goal and six assists in this series. Advertisement 'He's probably the best player of our generation,' Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov said. 'So you have to be aware of him every single time he's on the ice and you have to try and take the space away from him.' But even when McDavid isn't scoring, the Panthers see the Oilers as a threat. Florida took a quick 3-0 lead at home in Game 4 but ended up losing 5-4 in overtime on a goal by Leon Draisaitl, who joins him atop the NHL postseason scoring list with 33 points. Maurice called the Oilers 'the most dangerous team in the National Hockey League' under normal conditions. So if they should find themselves trailing in what could be the final game of the Stanley Cup Final? 'Their risk profile changes,' Maurice said. 'When they're down a goal or two, they are incredibly hard to handle.' Advertisement One more victory would give Tkachuk the option of repeating one of the more unique Stanley Cup celebrations. Last year he took the trophy for a swim off Fort Lauderdale Beach. 'There's no secret the Cup's in the building,' Tkachuk said. 'It's going to be the toughest test, the biggest game.' Florida Panthers just one win away from repeating as champs after Game 5 win: Recap How does Brad Marchand's Stanley Cup Final performance stack up with other Miami stars? This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Stanley Cup Final: Matthew Tkachuk, Florida Panthers can finish Oilers at home
Yahoo
03-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Sporticast 454: How To Monetize Your Third Straight Stanley Cup
On the latest Sporticast episode, hosts Scott Soshnick and Eben Novy-Williams speak with Shawn Thornton, chief revenue officer of the Florida Panthers, about the team's return to the Stanley Cup Final and what it means for various different revenue streams. The Panthers face the Edmonton Oilers in Game 1 of the Finals on Wednesday. It's a rematch of last year's final, which the Panthers won in seven games, and the third straight Stanley Cup Final appearance for the Florida team. Advertisement More from Thornton talks about what that multiyear success means for the team. He discusses ticket renewals, sponsorship sales, and ticket pricing. He jokes that while he doesn't get a ton of inbound sales calls, the conversations are easier now. He also gave his thoughts on the team's local media partnership. The Panthers used to be on one of the Bally's RSN networks, but last summer moved to a broadcast deal with Scripps, a setup similar to a handful of other NBA, NHL and MLB teams caught in the Diamond Sports bankruptcy. While he declined to provide specifics on the economics, he did say game viewership is up more than 2x in some cases, and that helps the team in its broader partnership conversations. The trio discusses the Tkachuk brothers–Matthew is one of the Panthers' stars–who boosted their popularity during the Four Nations Face-Off earlier this year. That bleeds into a conversation about NHL players and their relationship with fame and marketing deals. For years, many marketing executives felt the culture of the sport made stars less likely to market themselves. Now, however, a fresh crop of young NHL stars seems to be changing that narrative, with a boost from new media and the league itself. Advertisement Thornton also talks about his personal journey from professional hockey player to team revenue boss. He played in the NHL for the Blackhawks, Ducks, Bruins and Panthers. At each stop, he said he gravitated to the business office. He arrived at the Panthers shortly after Vinny Viola bought the team in 2013 for $250 million, and the role grew from there. (You can subscribe to Sporticast through Apple, Google, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever else you get your podcasts.) Sign up for Sportico's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Hamilton Spectator
30-05-2025
- Sport
- Hamilton Spectator
‘A big play in a big moment': McDavid's magic leads Oilers to another Cup final
DALLAS - The Edmonton Oilers were teetering on their heels. The Dallas Stars' push felt relentless. The crowd inside a raucous American Airlines Center could sense their team was on the cusp of climbing out of a deep hole. Like he has so many times, Connor McDavid stepped up in a big moment Thursday — and pushed his group to another Stanley Cup final. Edmonton's superstar captain took advantage of a fortunate bounce before moving in alone and dekeing Stars goaltender Casey DeSmith to the ice on an electric forehand move with Dallas centre Roope Hintz all over him for a 4-2 lead. 'My hockey brain goes to, 'That's probably one of the nicest goals I've seen him score,'' said Oilers centre Leon Draisaitl, who has grown up in the NHL alongside McDavid. 'Just the whole situation, how it played out, who he had coming up behind him. That's a big-time play. There's only one player in the world that can do that in that moment. 'We're very fortunate to have him on our side.' McDavid's goal with 5:32 left in the middle period killed the home side's momentum in what would wind up being a 6-3 final to clinch the Oilers' second consecutive Western Conference crown and set up a rematch with the Florida Panthers in the title series. 'Incredible,' said Edmonton defenceman Darnell Nurse, whose team built an early 3-0 advantage before Dallas eventually cut its deficit to one. 'The big moments, he always steps up and makes such a difference for our team. We're so fortunate to have him. That was a goal and an example of a big player making a big play in a big moment.' 'He's not missing that,' Stars head coach Pete DeBoer lamented. 'It's game over.' McDavid, who grabbed hold of the Clarence S. Campbell Bowl after not touching the trophy last year when the Oilers also beat the Stars to claim the West, added an assist to become the second-fastest player in league history to reach 100 in the post-season behind only Wayne Gretzky. The 28-year-old also joined The Great One as the second player to register at least three separate playoffs with 20 assists. All the talk, however, was about the goal. 'That's a Connor McDavid kind of play,' said veteran winger Corey Perry, who will play in his sixth final. 'That's just the player he is.' McDavid and his Oilers were left heartbroken last June after coming back from a 3-0 deficit in the final against the Panthers with a trio of victories — largely thanks to No. 97's record-breaking performance — only to come up just short in Game 7. The Richmond Hill, Ont., product then helped Canada to a victory at the Four Nations Face-Off in February with an overtime goal against the United States before leading the Oilers, who were down 2-0 to the Los Angeles Kings in the opening round this spring, on another memorable run. 'Last couple of years has been some of the most fun I've had playing hockey,' said the No. 1 pick at the 2015 draft. 'It's going to be an exciting month.' McDavid, whose Oilers will host Game 1 against Florida in the Alberta capital on Wednesday, was asked about his ability to be the player his teammates look to at crunch time. 'We've prepared to be in this position for a long time,' he said. 'These are more normal positions for us now. The moment doesn't feel big, it doesn't feel anything other than hockey, and that allows you to make your play.' Head coach Kris Knoblauch has seen McDavid's magic since he was a teenager when the pair were together with the Ontario Hockey League's Erie Otters more than a decade ago. 'Alleviates a lot of that pressure,' Knoblauch said of Thursday's breakaway brilliance. 'I've seen Connor do it numerous times.' Edmonton will now pivot to Florida, which rolled through the Carolina Hurricanes in five games to take the East title. 'I think we're better,' McDavid said of this Oilers iteration compared to 12 months ago. 'We're better for it going through last year. It was a great learning experience, and it's really driven us all year. 'This run has felt different.' They will be hoping for a different result. This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 29, 2025.
Yahoo
29-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
List of best U.S. cities for hockey doesn't have any from Minnesota in the top 10
Add up the players on the U.S. national team at the Four Nations Face-Off (silver), World Junior Championship (gold), Men's World Championship (gold), and Women's World Championships (gold), and Minnesota has far more players on those rosters than any other state. The Minnesota Frost won their second straight Walter Cup championship this week. The Minnesota State High School Hockey Tournament speaks for itself. So, when WalletHub released its "Best Cities for Hockey" list on Wednesday, the State of Hockey was obviously well represented. Right? Well... gird yourself, because that's not what happened. St. Paul finished best at 13th. Other Minnesota cities include Bemidji at 42nd, Minneapolis at 48th, St. Cloud at 56th, Duluth at 58th, and Mankato at 64th. No mention, either, of Eveleth, home of the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame. It's a bitter pill to swallow, seeing a top 10 devoid of Minnesota representation. Here's what that top 10 looks like. Boston Detroit Pittsburgh New York City Newark Denver Sunrise Tampa Buffalo St. Louis Before anyone lights their phone on fire in an attempt to erase this list from history, a little explanation is necessary. WalletHub created the list by comparing 76 cities in two parent categories: NHL hockey and NCAA DI hockey. Inside each category, 21 metrics were considered. Additionally, the NHL category was weighted more heavily than the college hockey is, in many ways, set up for Minnesota to fail. The number of NHL teams is considered (advantage to New York) as is the performance of those teams, Stanley Cup wins, and division championship wins, among other metrics. These are metrics where, to be kind, the Minnesota Wild do not come out on top. Things would look a lot better if women's pro hockey was considered, given the success of the Frost and the Whitecaps before them. College hockey makes a positive impact for Minnesota cities, but it only accounts for 20% of the score and only includes men's hockey. The absence of women's hockey hurts Minnesota (and is generally absurd) since there are so many good teams in the state, including a handful of championships for the Gophers and the Bulldogs. High school hockey and youth hockey participation aren't factored in at all. USA Hockey's most recent data shows Minnesota hockey as having far more youth hockey participation than any other state, with Massachusetts, Michigan, and New York showing well too. Though, it's worth noting that those rankings aren't per capita but raw numbers, and Minnesota's population of 5.7 million is quite a bit lower than those other states. Additionally, that's a statewide metric and not boiled down to individual cities. In other words, it's not a great study. C'est la vie. Given the methodology, it's hard to argue with the success of the teams like the Panthers, Lightning, Avalanche, Penguins, and all the other teams that have managed to do well enough that they don't wind up as a punchline in an NFL schedule announcement video.
