Matthew Tkachuk Will Miss Upcoming 4 Nations Game with Injury

Matthew Tkachuk is reportedly going to miss Monday’s game between Team USA and Team Sweden after a minor injury that happened in Saturday’s game between the Canadians and Americans. The game started with three fights in the first nine seconds, and Mattew Tkachuk kicked it off with a spirited scrap against Brandon Hagel. But, Tkachuk didn’t play the final minutes of the game.

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Frank Seravalli reports, “Sounds likely that Matthew Tkachuk will sit out Monday night’s game against Sweden to heal up for Team USA’s championship game on Thursday. We’ll hear from Mike Sullivan this afternoon. Tkachuk missed the final 12:36 of the Canada clash and left Bell Centre with a noticeable limp.”

This is not ideal and it’s good news for Team Sweden, who needs a win to stay alive in the tournament. If Sweden wins in regulation, they remain alive. Meanwhile, anything less than a regulation win for Canada against Finland on Monday would result in elimination for Team Canada.

Tkachuk says there’s “no concern” with what his undisclosed injury was in the third period vs. Canada.

An Injury Would Be Brutal For Team USA and the Florida Panthers

Going into this tournament and its timing, the concern was that a player or players could get seriously injured. Shea Theodore went down for Team Canada in the first game and will be out week-to-week. Tkachuk is one of Team USA’s best players, and if he’s out, that’s not only a big loss for them but a problem for the Florida Panthers if this lingers.

Tkachuk resting is the smart play, but he’s not the kind of player that wants ever to sit out these games. If he can’t go, there’s a reason. And, if whatever is ailing him bleeds into the return of NHL action, this could be a situation worth watching.

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