It was a brilliant start to Team USA’s 4 Nations Face-Off campaign. Decimating Finland 6-1 in their first match of the tournament, the USA will now look to retain the momentum in its upcoming matches as well. While the entire roster pulled its weight, the contributions of Matthew and Brady Tkachuk behind the victory are undeniable. But the star brothers’ talent to find the behind of the net isn’t something that they picked up all of a sudden.

Instead, looking at their family background, one would surmise that they have grown up knowing how to keep hold of the puck under stressful situations on the ice. After all, Matthew and Brady are the sons of the legendary retired NHL star Keith Tkachuk, who remains one of the greatest American players ever. So what makes Keith such a towering name in the community and how he might have shaped his sons’ careers in the League?

Matthew Tkachuk had a shining example at home

Born in Massachusetts, Keith Tkachuk was drafted as the 19th overall pick in 1990 by the Winnipeg Jets. And guess what? By 1993, Keith was named the captain of the squad. Tkachuk went on to play 19 seasons in the NHL with the Jets, the Phoenix Coyotes, and the St. Louis Blues. Moreover, he is one of the few American-born players to boast 500 career goals in the League under their belts.

The 1996 World Cup of Hockey winner also represented the country in the Olympic Games four times and won silver at the 2002 Salt Lake City Games. Scoring 1065 points in 1201 NHL games, Keith Tkachuk became only the sixth American player to cross the 1,000-point milestone. In the 1995-96 and 1996-97 seasons, Matthew’s father crossed the 50-goal mark, sealing his reputation as one of the greatest forwards of his generation.

There’s more. Keith was inducted into the USA Hockey Hall of Fame in 2011 and into the St Louis Hall of Fame in the Class of 2024. From all the incredible statistics, it’s easy to see where Brady and Matthew Tkachuk get their hockey acumen from. And their exhibition of skill against Finland on February 13 at the Bell Centre was just the kind of start to the party the nation needed!

Matthew Tkachuk’s sons bring about Finland’s destruction

At 27 years old, Matthew Tkachuk boasts an impressive 240 goals and 396 assists in 642 NHL games. On the other hand, his brother Brady, Ottawa’s 25-year-old winger, is four games away from the 500 mark in the NHL and has 183 goals and 210 assists under his belt. The thrilling duo joined hands to give the USA a dreamy start to the 4 Nations Face-Off which not many in Montreal were prepared to witness.

After Finland scored the first goal of the match, the Senators star quickly evened the odds in the first period. Minnesota Wild’s Matt Boldy made it 2-1 by finding the back of the net as he deflected Brock Faber’s shot. Matthew Tkachuk joined the party soon after, scoring another goal for the USA in a power play that carried over from the second period.

In the third period, Team USA pulled away with goals from Jake Guentzel and the Tkachuk brothers both scoring apiece. Thanks to the massive win, the USA is the only side in the tournament to have earned the whole three points after all teams have played their first matches in the 4 Nations Face-Off. As the team now looks at Saturday, when they will be facing a stacked Canadian side, Matthew Tkachuk is already feeling the excitement. “I think I’ve thought about this game for nine years, so we’ll be ready for it,” he said in a post-match interview with Sportsnet’s Kyle Bukauskas. So how do you expect to see Keith Tkachuks’ wisdom coming into play this weekend through his sons’ sticks once again? Tell us!