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Kristen Shilton
MONTREAL — Keith Tkachuk would never play favorites with his kids, or the NHL teams for which they now play.
But thanks to the 4 Nations Face-Off — where his sons Matthew and Brady are united for the first time on Team USA instead of adversaries for the Florida Panthers and Ottawa Senators, respectively — the Tkachuk patriarch simply gets to be a fan. Of country, yes, but mostly of family.
“They’re two years apart, so they’ve never really played before together, and when we heard this [tournament was happening], we were so pumped up,” the elder Tkachuk told ESPN. “They’re living their dreams. We just pinch ourselves how lucky we are to be able to watch them play in this. It’s the best feeling in the world.”
It’s rare enough to see siblings across multiple NHL rosters. Having two in the same lineup for a best-on-best tournament like 4 Nations — an event the likes of which hasn’t hosted NHL players in nearly a decade — is more rare. The Tkachuks were always a different breed, though. And it was Keith — during his own 18-year NHL career — planting the seed early with his boys about what a unique experience it is to represent the USA.
Keith himself has done it all in the red, white and blue. He’s one of just two U.S.-born skaters who have appeared in four Olympics (with a silver medal win in 2002), two World Cups of Hockey and two World Junior Championships. There’s a lifetime’s worth of memories for Keith to download with his sons — but now, Matthew and Brady are experiencing it all firsthand.
“They don’t need to hear from me how important this is,” he said. “They know how important [wearing the U.S. sweater] is, and then to both be able to do it together on the same team, with the best players in the world, they’re really excited about this.
“But it’s to do it together that means so much to them.”
It didn’t take long for the Tkachuks to show off their inherent chemistry. Paired on a line together, they stole the show in the USA’s 6-1 drubbing of Finland on Thursday — each collected a pair of goals, and Matthew garnered an assist on one of Brady’s to bring the Tkachuk point total to five.
Matthew earned player of the game honors, too. And no one in the building — not even Keith and wife Chantal — was happier to see that than Brady.
“He’s one of the smartest guys in the NHL,” Brady told ESPN. “And to be able to play with a guy like that I’m lucky, I just try to make some space for him.”
And when the USA next suits up to face Canada on Saturday?
“I’m expecting the best energy in this crowd,” Brady said. “And I’m excited to be playing the villain that night.”
Spoken like a true Tkachuk.
MATTHEW TKACHUK SMILES BRIGHTER than the spotlight beating down on his head.
He can’t help it, really. Not when the topic is Keith, and Brady, and yet another bond they share now in this latest chapter.
“[Our dad] is so excited,” Matthew said. “It’s just so special. For Brady and I, it’s [about] all the time we’re spending away from the ice right now together, whether it’s the team dinners or in the lounges, or just being in the [dressing] room together. We’ve talked about this moment playing together for forever, and now it’s finally happening. We’re super grateful for it.”
The Tkachuks’ age gap — Matthew is 27, Brady is 25 — has kept that from being a reality in the past. But the brothers’ paths have practically mirrored one another in their approach to this pinnacle.
Matthew entered the U.S. National Team Development Program in 2013, leaving right when Brady was set to start his own two-year stint in 2015. Matthew played for the US World Junior team in 2016; Brady did the same in 2018.
Both brothers were high NHL draft picks, too, with Matthew selected sixth overall by Calgary in 2016 and Brady fourth overall by Ottawa in 2018. And when it comes to bragging rights — in that regard, at least — they both topped Dad, selected 19th overall by Winnipeg in 1990.
It was inevitable that comparisons would be made between the three once Matthew and Brady entered the league. Keith’s NHL tenure spanned more than 1,200 games and 1,065 points. He brought a style to the ice that few could replicate at the time — but one that his sons have embraced finding parts of in their own games.
“We both grew up wanting to play exactly like our dad,” Matthew said. “And I’d say Brady’s probably pretty close to him. We still talk to him after all the games and practices and stuff, and he still has a very big influence on our play, and how we prepare.”
That much is clear to Team USA coach Mike Sullivan. He was Keith’s teammate with the Phoenix Coyotes from 1998 to 2001, and an assistant coach for the 2006 Olympic team on which Keith played. Sullivan can see where his former teammate has rubbed off on his sons.
“They’re two of the better power forwards in the league,” Sullivan said. “They drag their respective teams into the fight, so to speak, and nobody did that better than their dad. When I played with Keith, he was one of the best power forwards in the game. These guys are following right in his footsteps.”
Now, even more because Keith can share with his kids what it’s like to participate in — and not just witness — an elite-level hockey tournament like 4 Nations. Keith brought his boys to Torino, Italy, for the 2006 Games — the largest international hockey event either attended with family — and introduced them to some of the world’s best athletes. That adventure isn’t the highlight of Keith’s international résumé though; that belongs to another tournament — one with another link to his sons.
Keith names his best memory as the 1996 World Cup, which held its final in Montreal, the same city where Matthew and Brady will play their first games of the 4 Nations event. In Keith’s time, it was the USA vs. Canada in a heated best-of-three series that saw Canada take Game 1 in overtime before the USA rallied with consecutive victories to take the World Cup championship in dramatic fashion.
“Really nobody gave us a chance, so to win it was probably the biggest thrill of my life in terms of hockey,” Keith recalled. “We really bonded quickly together. It was incredible to be able to play with guys you normally don’t get to play with. Everything’s measured against Canada — they’re the best, and they deserve to be the best — so to go out and beat them, when they have guys like [Wayne] Gretzky and [Mark] Messier and [Steve] Yzerman and [Joe] Sakic. Yeah, the best experience of my life, for sure.”
It’s possible the USA will battle Canada again for a 4 Nations title. And if that becomes another shared experience for the Tkachuk family, it’ll be with the USA as arguable favorites over the Canadians. While Keith laughs a little at the notion — “It doesn’t matter who’s favored when the puck drops” — he can appreciate how far the USA hockey program has come.
And one son in particular has undergone a notable evolution the past few seasons — but even winning a Stanley Cup in Florida hasn’t truly changed Matthew Tkachuk.
“IT’S FUNNY,” Keith said, “that you still hear the word ‘pest’ about him.”
Matthew comes by it honestly. Some of his early years in Calgary were defined by a gritty swagger that agitated opponents and frequently got Matthew in hot water with officials. He was more than a nuisance, though. Requesting a trade from the Flames in 2022 — following a 104-point campaign — and landing with the Panthers showed the myriad ways Matthew’s game was flourishing, and he has since asserted himself as one of the league’s elite forwards (who earned a Hart Trophy nomination in 2023, and helped the Panthers to the Stanley Cup in 2024).
“I laugh at how he’s perceived because as a dad, you’re always trying to pick out some things you got to be better at,” Keith said of his reputation rubbing off on Matthew’s. “Because the kid is as skilled as anybody when it comes to hockey sense and making plays and producing.
“He’s mentally strong. He knows what it takes to win. He pushes the limit, and knows when to go, when not to go. His professionalism is what I love about him.”
But Matthew may never have reached his full potential without the USNTDP, where he first met 4 Nations teammate Zach Werenski. They’ve kept in touch in the years since, and Werenski can attest to Matthew’s continued authenticity, along with the genuine attachment he has to Brady.
“Matthew hasn’t changed since when we were kids,” Werenski said. “He’s always been the same, and I respect that. He definitely plays with an edge; he’s kind of a little bit of a rat out there. I’m happy both the Tkachuks are on our team this week.
“But [Matthew’s] a competitor. He’s been that way since I’ve known him. He enjoys himself. He likes joking around, him and his brother. It’s great to be in the room with them right now.”
That Tkachukian passion — passed down through generations — will likely be a key factor at times for the USA as they roll through the 4 Nations slate. It’s too short a schedule for them already given the level of enthusiasm, so every shift will be something worth remembering.
“It’s a once-in-a-lifetime moment to represent your country for the first time,” Matthew said. “I know I’ve been waiting nine years for this opportunity. This is a true honor for me, and just something that I’ve been super excited for for a long time, and something that I’ll just cherish.”