The United States is “planning and expecting” to have Florida Panthers forward Matthew Tkachuk for the Olympic Winter Games in Milano Cortina this February, according to U.S. general manager Bill Guerin.
The Olympics will be the first to include NHL players since the 2014 Sochi Olympics, and the American team will be looking win its first gold medal since 1980.
After the Florida Panthers won their second straight Stanley Cup on June 18, the 27-year-old Tkachuk revealed he sustained a torn adductor muscle and a sports hernia injury on the same side of his body.
Tkachuk and his younger brother Brady Tkachuk, were among the first six players named to the U.S. preliminary roster on June 16, along with Jack Eichel, Auston Matthews, Quinn Hughes and Charlie McAvoy.
Panthers prospect Simon Zether was the first line right wing in Rogle BK’s 3-2 loss to HV71 in preseason action from the Swedish Hockey League. Zether did not figure in the scoring.
Former Panther David Booth scored a goal and added two assists to help the Melbourne Ice defeat the Newcastle North Stars 6-4 in semifinal action and then scored the final goal of the game as the Ice took down the Canberra Brave 7-3 in the final to win the from the Australian Ice Hockey League championship. Booth, 40, racked up 34 goals and 30 assists in just 14 regular season games for the Ice.
The Carolina Hurricanes signed forward Ivan Ryabkin to a three-year, entry-level contract. Ryabkin was taken with the 34th overall pick in 2025 NHL Draft after producing 19 goals and 30 points in 27 games with the Muskegon Lumberjacks. in the USHL playoffs, he scored seven goals and added 9 assists in 16 games.