The star forward ignited Amerant Bank Arena by recording a Gordie Howe hat trick and defending his captain in a dominant victory over the rival Hurricanes.
The Florida Panthers picked up a win in their first preseason game of 2026 on Sunday night.
Florida, utilizing a roster mostly comprised of players who will be on the Cats’ Opening Night roster, took down the Carolina Hurricanes 6-3 in front of an enthusiastic crowd at Amerant Bank Arena.
Much of the attention was on the newest Panthers player, Brady Tkachuk, as he made his debut while wearing a Florida sweater.
The younger Tkachuk brother did not disappoint, picking up a Gordie Howe hat trick with two goals, an assist and a fighting major.
To the surprise of no one, Brady was named First Star of the Game.
He also earned some brownie points, as his fight with Charles Alexis Legault was a direct response to a hit just moments earlier on his new captain, Sasha Barkov.
Brady, who also saw some time on Florida’s first power play unit, was on the ice for 14:09 and led all players with seven shots on eight attempts.
His line, which included Barkov and Sam Reinhart, combined for three goals, five points, 13 shots and a plus-7 on-ice rating.
“I thought it was a good first game,” Tkachuk said of the trio. “I thought we made good small area plays to one another. It’s nice. It was our first crack at it and I’m excited about what level we can get to.”
He wasn’t the only player to log three points, though.
Cats defenseman Niko Mikkola scored a pretty goal on a shot from the point while adding a pair of assists, all during the second period.
Mikkola’s goal was helped into the net by Barkov, who positioned himself in front of the net and provided a large screen on goaltender Pyotr Kochetkov.
Sunday was a big night for Barkov, playing in his first game on his home ice since Game 6 of the 2025 Stanley Cup Final.
There did not appear to be any rust on Barkov, which isn’t a surprise after his impressive showing back in May when he helped Finland win gold at the IIHF World Championships.
He sniped a goal on a breakaway after being led into Carolina’s zone by Brady Tkachuk, a nice return of the favor after Barkov assisted on Tkachuk’s first period power play goal.
Cole Reinhardt had a strong game on Florida’s fourth line, collecting a pair of goals while skating on a line with Cole Schwindt and Jack Devine.
Next up for Florida will be a road matchup with the Hurricanes on Tuesday night in Raleigh.
Carolina left most of their NHL regulars back home in Raleigh, which could mean the Panthers will be in for a tougher test
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Photo caption: Sep 20, 2026; Sunrise,Florida, USA;FloridaPanthersleft wing Brady Tkachuk (8) celebrates a goal against the Carolina Hurricanes during the first period at Amerant Bank Arena. (Jim Rassol-Imagn Images)
