Tkachuk suffered a fractured sternum during Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final
Matthew Tkachuk took to the red carpet outside Bridgestone Arena on Monday night looking sharp as ever.
With a snappy blue suit and sunglasses on, he smiled at fans while making his way inside the building.
He also had his right arm in a sling.
That’s because Tkachuk is still recovering from a broken sternum he suffered during the Stanley Cup Final.
Tkachuk suffered the injury during Game 3, but it didn’t stop him from scoring the game-tying goal in the final minutes and helping the Panthers to victory in overtime.
He tried to gut it out two nights later during Game 4 but was limited and in pain, and then he was held out of Game 5, the night Vegas clinched the Cup.
Speaking to the NHL Network's Mike Kelly and Jamie Hersch on the red carpet, Tkachuk reassured everyone the injury wouldn’t cause him to miss any time next season.
“I’ll be good,” he said when asked about his status for the upcoming season.
Florida making it to the Final means they’ll have a much shorter offseason than usual, which could make it challenging for some players who suffered significant injuries during the playoffs to be ready for the start of next season.
With everything happening so fast and furious for the Panthers over the past few months, it’s understandable that some of the players haven’t been able to truly process what just happened.
For Tkachuk, coming to Nashville and being surrounded by the awards show and the NHL Draft provides a layer of closure.
“Stuff like this, you start to reflect on the year and then realize that it's over because, during the whole run, you’re just having the time of your life, you don't want it to end, and when it does, I think it's more shocking that it's over,” he said. “I think weekends and events like this, and once the draft and everything is over, I'll be able to sit back and realize what a great year it was.”
It should be a fun night for Tkachuk, who is one of three finalists for the Hart Trophy along with Connor McDavid and David Pastrnak.
“I would have never imagined being in even the same sentence as those guys, let alone be up for an award,” he said. “It’s two guys that I admire so much for what they do on the ice, and it’s so cool being able to play against them. I really feel very honored and really humbled to be in the same conversation.”