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March 17, 2026
Florida panthers

FORT LAUDERDALE — Dmitry Kulikov almost saw his season with the Florida Panthers end before it got started.

In just the second game of the season, Kulikov went hard into the boards.

He left the ice and did not return until March 1.

Kulikov, now in his third season in his second stint with the Panthers, needed shoulder surgery and missed five months of the season.


“That was the longest I have been out during the regular season,’’ Kulikov said, “and it was tough, mentally. You come in every day to do the work, but you’re really not with the team. You’re really not part of it all. It was a long process. But now that I am back, I am enjoying every second of it.’’

Kulikov was one of a handful of high-profile Panthers who spent a lot of time on the injured list.

Matthew Tkachuk and Tomas Nosek had surgery over the summer, with Sasha Barkov injured in his first day of training camp.

Kulikov was the fourth big name to join Florida’s walking wounded although there would be more as the season progressed.

Paul Maurice used to joke that he had an all-star team in the Panthers gym at the arena in Sunrise on game days.

“There were a lot of us,’’ Kulikov said. “Once the game started, you would look around the gym and there would be like eight guys in there. And all of us had long-term injuries. We were not getting back in the lineup anytime soon. That was a weird feeling.’’

What was also a weird feeling was that of not being able to help.

The Panthers kept things close for a while before eventually falling out of playoff contention.

“It really is tough when you don’t feel like you’re part of the team,’’ Kulikov said. “We all want to help the team, but there was nothing we could do but try and get better so we could come back. We live to play hockey, so we all want to be a part of it.’’

ON DECK: GAME 67
FLORIDA PANTHERS at VANCOUVER CANUCKS  
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