SUNRISE — Brady Tkachuk is expected to play his first regular-season game as a Florida Panther when the club opens its 2026-27 home schedule against the Minnesota Wild at Amerant Bank Arena on Oct. 10 at 6 p.m. ET.
Tkachuk, acquired in a blockbuster trade with the Ottawa Senators this summer, will join brother Matthew Tkachuk on the Panthers’ roster for a home opener that carries an Olympic reunion storyline. Both Tkachuk brothers were key players for the United States during its run to a gold medal at the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026 in February. On the opposing bench, Matt Boldy and Quinn Hughes — also members of that U.S. gold-medal squad — will suit up for Minnesota.
The Panthers own an all-time record of 21-7-2-2 in home openers, including wins in each of their last seven. Pushing that streak to eight will require beating a Wild team that finished third in the Central Division last season with a 46-24-12 record before being eliminated in the second round of the playoffs.
Florida’s quest for three straight Stanley Cups was derailed last season by what the team described as a staggering number of injuries. The addition of Brady Tkachuk represents the organization’s most significant offseason move as it reloads for another championship run.
The NHL is scheduled to release the complete 2026-27 regular-season schedule Thursday at 1 p.m. ET.