An incredibly difficult and painful season for Dmitry Kulikov has come to an end. After Tuesday’s shootout loss to the Montreal Canadiens, Florida Panthers Head Coach Paul Maurice told the media that Kulikov suffered a broken finger during the third period. As a result, Kulikov won’t play in any of Florida’s final four games of the season. “Dmitry won’t come back from that,” Maurice said. It’s the third serious injury Kulikov has had to endure this season. He suffered a shoulder injury two games into the season, missing the next 57 while recovering from surgery. After finally returning to Florida’s lineup in early March, the veteran defenseman got 15 games under his belt before the next serious injury struck, this time breaking his nose during a 6-3 Panthers win over the Ottawa Senators. Despite Florida’s season being over in terms of making the playoffs, Kulikov told the coaching staff that he wanted to continue playing and battling with his teammates. He had to miss two games with the broken nose before he was medically cleared to play, returning to the ice on Sunday in Pittsburgh. Now, Kulikov is the third player in the past two weeks to be ruled out for the season due to a broken finger, joining Evan Rodrigues and Aaron Ekblad. Rodrigues was hurt during Florida’s 3-2 loss against Minnesota on March 26 while Ekblad injured his finger in the same game Kulikov broke his nose. “It’s just the standard injury here now,” Maurice said. “It’s just unbelievable what these guys have been through.” The Panthers will continue their road trip on Thursday in Ottawa before playing their final road game of the season Saturday against the Toronto Maple Leafs. LATEST STORIES FROM THE HOCKEY NEWS - FLORIDA Panthers Surrender Goal In Final Seconds, Lose To Montreal In Shootout [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/florida-panthers/game-day/panthers-surrender-goal-in-final-seconds-lose-to-montreal-in-shootout] Panthers' Matthew Tkachuk To Miss Game Against Canadiens Due To Birth Of His Child [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/florida-panthers/latest-news/panthers-matthew-tkachuk-to-miss-game-against-canadiens-due-to-birth-of-his-child] Panthers Road Trip Continues With Matchup Against Playoff-Bound Montreal [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/florida-panthers/game-day/panthers-road-trip-continues-with-matchup-against-playoff-bound-montreal] Panthers Forward Eetu Luostarinen Fined $5K For High-Sticking Pittsburgh's Rickard Rakell [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/florida-panthers/latest-news/panthers-forward-eetu-luostarinen-fined-5k-for-high-sticking-pittsburgh-s-rickard-rakell] Panthers Assistant GMs Reportedly Garnering Plenty Of Interest Around The NHL [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/florida-panthers/latest-news/panthers-assistant-gms-reportedly-garnering-plenty-of-interest-around-the-nhl] Photo caption: Apr 5, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Florida Panthers defenseman Dmitry Kulikov (7) controls the puck against the Pittsburgh Penguins during the first period at PPG Paints Arena. (Mark Alberti-Imagn Images)
