Brady Tkachuk’s only taste of the NHL playoffs has come from the stands, watching his brother, Matthew, go to the Stanley Cup Final in back-to-back seasons, winning last June. But he appears to also have the clutch gene.
The United States rode a four-goal third period to a 6–1 win over Finland on Thursday at the Bell Centre in Montreal, the second night of the NHL’s 4 Nations Face-Off. Leading the way was Matthew Tkachuk, who was named player of the game with two power-play goals and an assist, and Brady, the game’s second star, who scored twice.
The best part is that the brothers get to share this one as teammates. For the first time, the Tkachuk family will watch their sons play alongside the NHL’s best without the question of which team they’ll be cheering for, and without Matthew or Brady as a spectator.
“I don’t think it’s really hit yet,” Brady said after Thursday’s game. “I can only imagine how proud my parents, family and friends that have helped us along the way.
“This has been the best experience of my hockey life.”
Matthew established himself as a big-time performer in the spring of 2023, when he led the Florida Panthers on a Cinderella run to the final with 24 points in 20 playoff games. His biggest moments were his four game-winning goals, tied for the team lead. Down three games to one against the juggernaut Boston Bruins in the first round, he won Game 5 in overtime, sparking an unlikely comeback. In a Conference Final sweep of the Carolina Hurricanes, he scored three game-winners — overtime winners in Games 1 and 2 and the series-clinching goal late in Game 4.
When the Panthers won it all in 2024, Brady didn’t show a hint of jealousy as the Tkachuks celebrated the family’s first Stanley Cup — the brothers’ father, Keith Tkachuk, never won one. In the stands of Florida’s Amerant Bank Arena, Brady reacted with pure joy. He hugged his parents as Keith wept.
“We’ve always joked, I think I lead the league in most playoff games watched without playing,” said Brady, met by laughter from the reporters. “I’ve gotten a lot of experience from that. Throughout those runs, I’ve just sat and watched his preparation and just his focus.”
The Americans led 2–1 entering the third period. Brady at that time had the only point between the two — the tying goal in the first period. In less than a minute, everything changed.
They began on the power play. Before they could set up, Matthew received a pass at the right point. He slung a long wrist shot, which hit the stick of his Florida teammate Niko Mikkola and fluttered past Juuse Saros. Eleven seconds later, Jake Guentzel made it 4–1.
Just before the three-minute mark, Matthew made a gutsy between-the-legs pass in the neutral zone. Brady, skating at full speed through the middle, chipped the puck across to Jack Eichel, who was moved to center the Tkachuk brothers on the second line.
“I think he’s the perfect centerman for guys like Brady and I,” Matthew said about playing with Eichel. “His speed, his two-way responsibilities, obviously his offense with his shot and finding the ice. I think it’s good for us to have him because he carries the puck a lot, so it really simplifies our game.”
Brady accelerated through the two Finnish defensemen, and Eichel found him to complete the give-and-go. Brady undressed Saros with a backhand deke to put the U.S. up 5–1.
“Not only are they great players, but they’re great teammates,” said coach Mike Sullivan. “And I also think that it’s pretty cool when you have an opportunity to play with your brother, and there might be some added motivation or some added inspiration to want to play.”
Sullivan added that his staff had previously discussed playing Matthew and Brady together. They eventually did, with Eichel as their center.
“I think they have a funny way of just dragging us into the fight,” he said.
Matthew would score the Americans’ sixth later in the period, again on the power play. He tipped down a Zach Werenski point shot, then cleaned up his rebound.
The Tkachuk brothers were the most impactful players on the ice and set the tone for the remainder of the tournament. They combined for 13 shots Thursday — Matthew was first on the team with eight, and Brady was second with five. Brady led the team with eight hits.
“I thought what we’d get from him is exactly what we got from him,” Sullivan said of Brady’s performance. “I just think he’s a high-stakes player.
“He’s yet to play in the high-stakes environment, maybe at the NHL level. But in the short time that I’ve got to know him and have played against him a lot over the last few years, he’s always one of those guys that you walk away from a game saying, ‘Man, is he a competitive guy.’
“He has an appetite to win. When we talk about American swagger or attitude, he might personify that.”
There will be no bigger stage than Saturday night at the Bell Centre when the U.S. takes on Canada. It takes a special player to rise to the occasion in a matchup of this caliber, and Brady is up to the challenge.
“It’s going to be the biggest game that I’ve ever played in my career,” he said.
