Chantal Tkachuk’s rule still holds.
And it’s still pretty simple – there won’t be a fight.
“Absolutely still in place,” Florida Panthers forward Matthew Tkachuk, the eldest son in the family, said of the not-so-subtle directive.
The Tkachuk brothers have faced each other a lot since Brady made his NHL debut in 2018.
There was that momentous first reunion where nearly 40 family members sported specially designed jerseys to honor the occasion.
The pair then met nine times during the pandemic-shortened 2020-21 NHL season, when Matthew’s Calgary Flames and Brady’s Senators lined up in the unique North Division necessitated by COVID-19 travel restrictions.
But with the older sibling now in the younger sibling’s Atlantic Division with the Panthers after a summer trade from Calgary and subsequent contract extension – as well as a group of Ottawa looking to make a playoff push after a painful rebuild and prolonged – the temperature of sibling rivalry is about to be raised.
“Really fun when we played each other twice a year,” said Matthew Tkachuk, 24, who will face Brady and the Senators as true division opponents for the first time on Saturday when Florida hosts Ottawa.
“But now games matter a lot. Before, they didn’t matter so much.”
“It’s definitely going to be weird”
Brady Tkachuk agreed there will be an adjustment to the new dynamic.
“It’s going to be really weird,” said the 23-year-old, who, like his brother, is signed long-term. “But we’re both excited. It won’t be all the spectacle it used to be. There will be big division games, and we’ll potentially play the playoffs.
“It’s going to be stressful for the parents, especially my mum, but it’s exciting.”
St. Louis forward Robert Thomas lived with Keith, who played 18 NHL seasons, and Chantal Tkachuk during his first two pro campaigns.
Matthew and Brady were away from home and in the league at the time, but in the spring of 2019 as the Blues headed for their first Stanley Cup.
“They love competing against each other,” Thomas said. “I don’t know what’s going to happen there. I don’t know how Chantal is going to maneuver that one.
Vegas Golden Knights captain Mark Stone, who took Brady under his wing in Ottawa before being traded, will also be on the lookout when the Tkachuks meet.
“It’ll be fun to get those two to play,” he said. “Two good teams in this division going forward.”
There’s no doubt that the Tkachuks – they also have a younger sister, Taryn – have each other’s backs when they’re not face to face on the ice.
Brady made waves on social media during the playoffs last spring when he was in Calgary cheering on the Flames, usually with a few beers in tow.
“Tons of guys on the team had family there doing the same thing,” Matthew Tkachuk said. “The difference is that Brady just plays in the NHL, so he’s a bit more recognizable.
“I liked it.”
Tkachuk fight?
New Jersey Devils center Jack Hughes played against his brother Quinn, a star defenseman for the NHL’s Vancouver Canucks.
“First shifts, you kinda laugh about it,” Jack Hughes said of sibling games. “[The Tkachuks] are different from me and Quinn. They are pretty in your face. I wouldn’t be surprised if something weird happened between these two.”
“I was asking somebody if we were going to see a fight against Tkachuk this year,” Quinn Hughes said.
“I hope not, but you never know.”
Dallas Stars goaltender Jake Oettinger, who played with Brady Tkachuk at Boston University and the 2018 World Junior Hockey Championship for the United States, is also unconvinced that an executive order “without a fight” can resist the individual desire to eventually win hockey’s ultimate prize.
“That’s the best part about those two,” Oettinger said. “They’re brothers and best friends and close friends, but once the puck drops, I’m sure these guys will fight at some point in their careers.
The Tkachuks, however, are adamant about potential punches.
“Games will matter a lot more,” Matthew said. “We’re going to speed it up a bit. But at the end of the day, he’s still my brother.”
“We’re going to have competitive games,” Brady said. “Just who we are as people, players. We both want to win, expect more battles.
“But never cross the line.”
Otherwise, they will have to answer to mom.
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