Saturday’s edition of ESPN College GameDay will have a hockey flavour to it.
Florida Panthers star Matthew Tkachuk was announced as this week’s guest picker on Thursday.
This weekend’s broadcast comes from Miami ahead of the No. 4 Hurricanes (3-0) hosting the Florida Gators (1-2).
It will mark the first time that a hockey player has served in the role. Multiple athletes, both active and retired, have been guest pickers in the past including the likes of Alex Bregman, Trae Young, Scottie Scheffler and Livvy Dunne. Charles Barkley served as the first guest picker in 2004.
Tkachuk, 27, is headed into his 10th NHL season and fourth with the Panthers, but he will be sidelined into December with a lower-body injury. Tkachuk was limited to only 52 regular-season games in 2024-2025 after incurring a sports hernia and torn adductor muscle on the same side playing for Team USA during the 4 Nations Face-Off in February. In 23 playoff games, Tkachuk notched eight goals and 15 assists.
Late last month, Minnesota Wild general manager Bill Guerin, who will serve in the same role for USA Hockey at the 2026 Milano Cortina Olympics, said that he was working under the belief that Tkachuk will be available for selection to his team.
“Planning and expecting [to have Tkachuk there],” Guerin said. “I mean, that’s just what I have to do. And if something changes, then we’ll change it, but he’s on and he’s going to be on until he can’t.”
Back-to-back Stanley Cup champions, the Panthers open their preseason schedule on Sunday with a visit to the Nashville Predators before beginning their regular-season campaign on Oct. 7 at home to the Chicago Blackhawks.