Tkachuk, Nosek to Miss Start of Florida Panthers Season

FORT LAUDERDALE — The Florida Panthers will be without Matthew Tkachuk and Tomas Nosek when the season begins.

Both players are out with long-term injuries that required surgery.

Tkachuk, general manager Bill Zito said, will be out at least though December after he had surgery last month to repair a sports hernia and torn adductor muscle.

Coach Paul Maurice, speaking on the Joe Rose Show on Wednesday morning, said Tkachuk would likely be out of the lineup until “midseason.’’

“Not having Chucky for a couple of months is never a good thing,’’ Sam Bennett said. “He’s a huge part of this team not only as an incredible player, but as a leader. He’s one of the best at staying upbeat, staying positive. He’s always in the locker room chirping guys, pulling pranks, whatever. Yeah, he’s a really important part of this, this group.’’

Nosek, who signed a new one-year deal with the Panthers after centering the fourth line in the second half of Florida’s playoff run last season, sustained a knee injury during offseason training.

Even if both players were healthy, they would not have been on the ice when the Panthers start training camp practices on Thursday afternoon.

Maurice is changing up how the Panthers run training camp this year: Veteran players will not take part in on-ice sessions until next week. They will focus on off-ice training, instead.

With 72 players in camp, the Panthers will have two groups going Thursday-Saturday with a preseason doubleheader on Sunday in Nashville.

After those two games, the Panthers should trip their camp roster a bit. Veteran players will start on the ice then.

“A year ago, we were wrestling with the length of our preseason schedule and down time, how we can most efficiently prepare our athletes for the upcoming season,’’ Zito said. “In that light, we thought there’s different factors for different people.”

Players using training camp to get into shape just is not a thing anymore.

The Panthers are ready to go right now, basically.

Working on individual strengths off the ice, the Panthers figure, can be beneficial moving forward.

The short offseason appears to fit the Panthers quite well.

“Some of the guys spent their summer here,’’ Zito said, “and some of the scuttlebutt around the room is that they are in better shape than they were before because of the time frame. You don’t really dip and then have to recover. So, you could dip a little bit, and then keep improving and get better. …

“I think everybody’s pretty excited to be playing hockey.’’

2024 STANLEY CUP CHAMPIONS 2025

FLORIDA PANTHERS

TRAINING CAMP ON DECK

• Thursday at Fort Lauderdale IcePlex (Open to Public): On-ice workouts 1:30, 3 p.m.
• Friday at Fort Lauderdale IcePlex (Open to Public): On-ice workouts 1:30, 3 p.m.
• Saturday at Fort Lauderdale IcePlex (Open to Public): On-ice workouts 1:30, 3 p.m.
• Preseason Doubleheader: Sunday @ Nashville Predators, 3/7 p.m.
• Championship Ring Celebration: Oct. 6; Time/Site TBA
• Opening Night: Oct 7 vs. Chicago Blackhawks, 5 p.m.
• Complete Florida Panthers 2025-26 Schedule