Tkachuk brothers eye Olympic gold with Team USA
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With the champagne barely dry following the Florida Panthers second straight Stanley Cup earlier this week, forward Matthew Tkachuk is already looking ahead to next year’s Olympic Games in addition to celebrating the Cup victory.
Matthew and his brother, Ottawa Senators star forward Brady Tkachuk, played on Team USA for the 4 Nations Face-Off in February. They were among the first six players selected to the U.S. Olympic roster on Monday, joining Auston Matthews, Jack Eichel, Quinn Hughes and Charlie McAvoy. Each brother told NHL.com playing for their country was an unforgettable experience and they can’t wait to do it again at the Milano-Cortina Games in February.
“It really felt like a dream come true when we found out we were two of the first six picked,” Brady said via NHL.com's Mike Zeisberger. “You always talk about winning the Stanley Cup but to have the opportunity to represent your country as part of the dream that is the Olympics, and to be part of the first step of that process, I’m really grateful and really honoured.”
“It’s going to be amazing, to be able to play with Brady again, and on a world stage like that,” Matthew said. “It’s just something else for us to celebrate.”
“I guess the next thing on the agenda for our family,” Brady said, referencing his brother winning the Cup once again, “is for Matthew and I to win gold together.”
The brothers came close at the 4 Nations, but fell 3-2 in overtime in the final against Canada.
“It was, the 4 Nations, it was the best hockey experience I ever had. It was amazing. It was special. Just to be able to represent your country. That was the best hockey, at the best level, I’ve ever been a part of. Just the way everyone was invested. I know it was a short tournament but just the bond you form as a group,” Brady said.
“It was just a taste of the pie of what’s to come, and I know a lot of the guys are chomping at the bit to get back together.”
The brothers played through injuries during the tournament but were still effective in helping the Americans reach the final, with Brady potting three goals in four games and Matthew turning in two goals and an assist in his three outings.
Their father, 18-season NHL veteran Keith Tkachuk, said it meant the world to him his two sons were among the top picks for the American team.
“I can’t explain it to you,” he said. “I lost it. I just did.”