Brady Tkachuk is already getting a head start on life with the Florida Panthers, and he’s doing it in a way that fits his reputation perfectly.
This summer, the physical forward spent time on the mats with a group of MMA heavyweights, including Khabib Nurmagomedov, Islam Makhachev and Usman Nurmagomedov, as he continues preparing for his first season in Florida. Former UFC fighter Nick Cantone shared a photo earlier this week from the workout, which also included Tkachuk and was taken at Cantone’s gym, the Nicholas Scott Cantone Training Center in Brick Township, New Jersey.
Tkachuk was wearing his gold medal from the 2026 Winter Olympics in the image.
For a player headed into a Panthers system that demands a heavy, aggressive style, the timing makes sense. Training camp is still more than a month away, but Tkachuk is clearly already leaning into the kind of edge that has defined his game for years.
He has never been the type to avoid contact or stay out of the rough stuff. Across eight seasons, all with Ottawa, Tkachuk averaged 3.4 hits per game and piled up 821 career penalty minutes, which comes out to just over 100 per season. Of those penalty minutes, 185 came from his 37 fighting majors.
That said, the fighting has tapered off lately. He dropped the gloves three times last season, his lowest total since his rookie year in 2018-19.
Before that, he fought five times in 24-25, six times in 23-24, and had eight fighting majors the season before that. From 19-20 through 21-22, he logged 16 combined fights.
Maybe that’s part of the evolution of a player who knows his value is better spent on the ice than in the penalty box. Either way, Tkachuk is still putting in work in a variety of ways, and this latest session shows he’s taking every angle seriously as he gets ready for what comes next in Florida.
We’ll see how that translates into the way he plays for the Panthers, arguably the most physical team in the league.
In Other News...
Panthers Add Two Forwards As One Charlotte Battle Takes Shape
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Tresca brings a different kind of intrigue. The 24-year-old Harvard graduate is stepping into pro hockey for the first time, and his path could start in the ECHL before he gets a chance to push for an AHL job. For a Panthers organization that leans on Charlotte to develop and evaluate options, the battle for those roster spots is already taking shape. [Read more 🡒]
Panthers Just Reinforced A Crucial Part Of Their Prospect Pipeline
The Panthers quietly strengthened an important part of their development ladder by extending their ECHL affiliation with Savannah for three more years, keeping a familiar landing spot in place for players who need pro minutes and a clearer path up the organization. Savannah has already become a useful stop in Floridas system, and the partnership gives the Panthers more stability as they continue sorting out how to move prospects from junior hockey and college into the pro game.
For a team that leans heavily on pipeline depth, that kind of continuity matters almost as much as any headline move. Savannah has already hosted several Panthers prospects, and the extension ensures that the organization can keep using that affiliate as a place to evaluate young players, build habits, and bridge the gap between development and the NHL chase. [Read more 🡒]