The 4 Nations Face-Off concluded its final chapter last weekend. And what a thrilling final chapter it was. But, in no time, the attention of hockey fans has returned to the regular NHL season. But that doesn’t mean we can’t continue to dwell a little on the exciting drama that happened during the tournament. And for players like Matthew and Brady Tkachuk, who emerged as some of the toughest skaters of Team USA, their family remains just as astonished as the fans.

In episode 125 of the New Heights podcast, hosted by Jason and Travis Kelce, the Tkachuk brothers shared their insights on the fights they had, prompting the hosts to inquire about their family’s reactions to their exploits. In response to the inquiry, Matthew Tkachuk disclosed, “My mom doesn’t really handle it too well, I think. I mean, she has accepted like that’s how we are as players, but I think on that stage she was pretty nervous.” The reaction of Chantal Oster, their mother, was entirely warranted. She just genuinely cares for her boys. 

But Matthew Tkachuk added, “Our sister Taryn? She loves it. She was giving so many fist pumps and high fives to everybody, and so it’s funny to see different people having different reactions.” This highlights the two contrasting sides of the family, showing that hockey undeniably runs in the veins of the Tkachuk family.

As you may recall, during the round-robin game against Team Canada, the Tkachuks flew out the gates, looking for a fight. And look for a fight they did, with Matthew getting the ball rolling by trading punches with Brandon Hagel just 2 seconds into the game. Shortly after that, Brady followed suit against Sam Bennett. Furthermore, Team USA’s national anthem was consistently booed in Canada, adding to the rising emotions.

Subsequently, it came to light that the fights were premeditated as the Tkachuk brothers and J. T. Miller had been hashing out the details in their group chat. That must not have gone down well with their mother! But what was a Canadian player’s response to that? “I think we’re out there playing for the flag, not the cameras. That’s a part of Canada that we have in there. We don’t need to initiate anything. We don’t have any group chats going on,” stated Brandon Hagel.

A dream come true for Brady and Matthew Tkachuk

Matthew Tkachuk and Brady Tkachuk, sons of Keith Tkachuk, have harbored a singular dream since their childhood. In discussing the 4 Nations Face-Off, Matthew said, “We talked about this moment, playing together, forever. And now that it’s finally happening, it’s just been amazing and we’re super grateful for it. We’re just having so much fun.”

In the NHL, the Tkachuk brothers have yet to share the ice representing the same team, with Matthew representing the Florida Panthers and Brady playing for the Ottawa Senators. Therefore, the 4 Nations Face-Off stage emerged as a shared platform for them, fulfilling their childhood aspirations.

And what is Matthew’s perspective on all of this? “Looking back, I’m so grateful I got to do that. There is a reason I have wanted to play in the NHL since a young age. I was there so much, and I loved the lifestyle, the passion, everything these guys showed me, and the relationships I built,” remarked the Panthers forward.

Growing up as the children of a hockey player like Keith Tkachuk presents its own unique set of challenges. After all, their father represented the U.S. at 4 Olympic games, winning silver in 2002, and is one of a select group of American players to hit 500 NHL goals. Talk about lofty expectations!

Yet with the way his sons are playing, there’s no doubt they will continue to do their dad proud. And who knows, maybe they might even improve upon their father’s silver medal next year at Milano-Cortina.