Florida Panthers left wing Matthew Tkachuk has had an outsized impact on the hockey world in 2025, and he is being rewarded accordingly.
Tkachuk will grace the cover of the video game NHL 26, the NHL announced Monday morning. The 27-year-old will be pictured on the cover holding the Stanley Cup aloft, which his Panthers won in six games over the Edmonton Oilers on June 17.
He’s a tone-setter, a leader, and now a cover star.
Matthew Tkachuk is the face of #NHL26.
See the full reveal August 6th: https://t.co/gsLeVReKbu pic.twitter.com/S24tmSe834
He's the first Florida player on the cover of the franchise since NHL 97, which featured goalie John Vanbiesbrouck.
Tkachuk's eventful year began in February, when he served as an alternate captain of the United States team during the ballyhooed 4 Nations Face-Off. He sustained a lower-body injury during the tournament that wound up keeping him out for months.
However, he returned in time for the playoffs, leading the league with five power-play goals as he helped his team to a championship.
The Panthers are scheduled to open their season on Oct. 7 against the Chicago Blackhawks, by which time NHL 26 will in all likelihood be in stores.
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Patrick Andres is a staff writer on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. He joined SI in December 2022, having worked for The Blade, Athlon Sports, Fear the Sword and Diamond Digest. Andres has covered everything from zero-attendance Big Ten basketball to a seven-overtime college football game. He is a graduate of Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism with a double major in history .
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