Matthew Tkachuk was the MVP of this Florida Panthers season but was unavailable for Tuesday's must-win Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final.
Now we know why.
While the Golden Knights celebrated with the Stanley Cup on the ice, Panthers coach Paul Maurice revealed that Tkachuk has a broken sternum.
"That was a bit of a problem," Maurice said sarcastically. "He was one of four guys with broken bones."
The injury occurred in Game 3 on a hit from Keegan Kolesar, but Tkachuk stayed in the game and helped the Panthers win in overtime. He then played in Game 4 but had a limited role, skating only four shifts in the third period.
"He didn't dress himself for (Game 4)," Maurice said. "Somebody helped him get his gear one, somebody tied his skates, somebody put his sweater on for him. But the next day when he came in he was in significant pain."
Tkachuk was just one of many Panthers players dealing with injuries during the playoffs. Maurice said some of the players will miss the start of next season due to the surgeries they'll need to undergo.
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