Ahead of Thursday night’s marquee matchup, NHL icon Keith Tkachuk—the father of Team USA’s Tasmanian devils, Matthew Tkachuk and Brady Tkachuk—delivered a bold message about his sons’ performance in the NHL’s international tournament. While praising their hard-nosed playstyle, his words also carried a subtle warning for Team Canada.
Keith Tkachuk had a remarkable NHL career, despite failing to hoist the Stanley Cup. He played in 1,201 games, registering 538 goals, 527 assists for a grand total of 1,065 points. His sons have taken up from his playstyle, not shying away from laying the body, and focusing on the overall success, rather than their individual’s accolades.
Brady and Matthew showcased just that during the USA’s statement victory in Montreal over Canada, and Keith was left amazed by the overall effort from the team.
The Tkachuk brothers posed an unsolved problem for Canada and will be a major headache for Jon Cooper’s squad when the teams meet again on Feb. 20. While Matthew is dealing with an injury, Brady is confident his brother will be ready when the puck drops Thursday night. If the siblings are at full capacity, Canada could find itself in serious trouble—just as Keith Tkachuk suggested.
“Those two are lunatics,” Keith said about his sons, via NHL.com. “I don’t know what to tell you. They’re great kids off the ice, but on the ice, you know, they’re funny. I love the personality. I think it’s great.
“[Matthew and Brady] love their country, and this is the first time they get to play together. They knew the magnitude of this game. It wasn’t an exhibition game. It was the real thing. And I’m proud of them. They’re always team-first guys. It was great for the crowd, it was great for the game, and it was great for USA.”
Making Dad proud
Keith Tkachuk was a key part of Team USA 1996 World Cup of Hockey title, scoring six points (5G, 1A) in five games, and having an unmeasurable impact every time he was on the ice. Keith didn’t shy away from the aggressive side of the sport, and he displayed it when Canada and the USA met, as he fought Claude Lemieux. USA went on to win 5-3, then.
Brady and Matthew followed their father’s steps, after dropping the gloves within the opening seconds of their meeting against Canada, setting the tone for their teammates.
The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree
The similarities between the father and sons are ever present, even on their statements. “It just felt right. We were always the little brother to Canada, so we wanted to make our mark,“ Keith admitted about his fight during the USA’s matchup with Canada during the ’96 World Cup of Hockey.
“I think the message we wanted to send is ‘It’s our time,’” Matthew Tkachuk stated postgame, via NHL.com. “We’re in a hostile environment, and we wanted to show that we’re not backing down. They’ve had so much success over so many years over there. They’re some of the best players in the world. We felt in this environment it was a good time to do it. It was a lot of fun.“
The job is not finished yet. Brady and Matthew Tkachuk now face an even bigger test as they prepare for a high-stakes showdown with Canada—this time, it’s for all the marbles. The Canadians will be hungry for revenge as they step into a packed TD Garden, but it’s Team USA’s mission to stand their ground and keep the Four Nations trophy on American soil.