Florida Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov will miss most of the season after a knee surgery, which also rules him out of the 2026 Olympics. The men’s hockey tournament at the Milano-Cortina Games is set to begin on Feb. 11, with Finland facing Slovakia in the opening match, followed by Sweden against host Italy.Barkov suffered the injury during Thursday's practice when he collided with teammate Niko Mikkola and had to be helped off the ice. He had surgery on his ACL and MCL on Friday, performed by Dr. John Uribe at Baptist Health Doctors Hospital. The team expects Barkov's recovery to take seven to nine months.Panthers GM Bill Zito called the situation “heartbreaking” and said missing the Olympics is a big loss for Barkov.“It’s heartbreaking," Zito said. "That’s about all I can say… It’s heartbreaking.”Zito also spoke with Barkov after the injury, saying he responded calmly:“Thanks, buddy. How are you?”Panthers coach Paul Maurice stressed that Barkov’s leadership continues to guide the team even while he is out.“Sam Reinhart doesn’t wear an ‘A,’ and he could be the captain of this team," Maurice said on Friday. "That part of it, I’m not concerned about.”Maurice also stressed the importance of focusing on what the team can control. Right after Barkov's injury on Thursday, he said:“If he misses an exhibition game, or if he is out long term, it's just not going to affect that day. We have to win the hockey game. We have to prep for it. That’s all.”Barkov has spent his entire 12-year NHL career with the Panthers and is known as one of the league’s top two-way centers. In the 2024-25 season, he scored 71 points and played key minutes in the playoffs, including the Stanley Cup Final.Apart from Aleksander Barkov, Matthew Tkachuk faces a season-start injury setbackFlorida Panthers coach Paul Maurice previously spoke about Matthew Tkachuk’s situation. Tkachuk will miss the start of the season with a lower-body injury and is expected back in December.On June 18, following the Panthers' second Cup win, Maurice talked about how Tkachuk played through a torn adductor muscle and sports hernia but still contributed in the playoffs.“He was a mess,” Maurice said, via NHL.com, noting how Tkachuk managed himself on the ice to stay effective while avoiding further injury.Maurice praised Tkachuk’s smart play and effort, saying his last games in the Stanley Cup run were among his best.