‘Parent Stress’: Tkachuk brothers meet in Atlantic Division for first time | CBC sport

Chantal Tkachuk’s rule still applies.

And it stays pretty straight forward – there will be no fights.

“Absolutely still there,” said Florida Panthers forward Matthew Tkachuk, the family’s eldest son, of the not-so-subtle directive.

The Tkachuk brothers have played each other extensively since Brady’s NHL debut in 2018.

There was that memorable first gathering where almost 40 family members wore specially designed jerseys in honor of the occasion.

The pair then met nine times during the NHL’s pandemic-shortened 2020-21 season when Matthews Calgary Flames and Brady’s Senators competed in the one-off North Division necessitated by COVID-19 travel restrictions.

But with older brother now boasting in younger brother’s Atlantic division following a summer trade from Calgary and a subsequent contract extension with the Panthers — along with an Ottawa group looking to make a playoff push after a painful, drawn-out rebuild — if the temperature of the sibling rivalry has risen, it should be turned up.

“Really good fun when we play 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 host Ottawa.

“But now the games play a big role. Before they weren’t that important.”

“It’s definitely going to be weird”

Brady Tkachuk agreed that there will be an adjustment to the new dynamic.

“It will definitely be weird,” said the 23-year-old, who, like his brother, has a long-term contract. “But we’re both looking forward to it. It won’t be all the spectacle it used to be. There’s going to be some big division games and we’ll probably play in 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 out of the house and in the league at the time, but in the spring of 2019, the Blues marched to their first Stanley Cup.

“They love to compete against each other,” said Thomas. “I don’t know what’s going to happen there. I don’t know how Chantal will maneuver this.

Vegas Golden Knights captain Mark Stone, who took Brady under his wing in Ottawa before being traded, will also tune in when the Tkachuks meet.

“It will be fun to let them play,” he said. “Two good teams in this division for the future.”

There’s no doubt that the Tkachuks – they also have a younger sister, Taryn – support each other when they’re not competing on the ice.

Brady made waves on social media in the playoffs last spring when he cheered on the Flames in Calgary, usually with a few beers in tow.

“A lot of the guys on the team had relatives there who did the same thing,” said Matthew Tkachuk. “The difference is that Brady only plays in the NHL, so he’s a little more recognizable.

“I loved it.”

Tkachuk fight?

New Jersey Devils center Jack Hughes played his brother Quinn, a star defenseman with the Vancouver Canucks, in the NHL.

“You laugh about it for the first few shifts,” Jack Hughes said of sibling games. “[The Tkachuks] are different from me and Quinn. You’re pretty much in-your-face. I wouldn’t be surprised if something strange happened between the two of them.”

“I asked someone if we’re going to see a Tkachuk fight this year,” said Quinn Hughes.

“I hope not, but you never know.”

Dallas Stars goaltender Jake Oettinger, who played with Brady Tkachuk at Boston University and for the USA at the 2018 World Junior Hockey Championships, is also unconvinced that the no-fight decree can resist individual desire, eventually claiming hockey’s ultimate prize.

“That’s the best thing about the two,” said Oettinger. “They’re brothers and best friends and very close but once the puck drops I’m sure these guys will fight at some point in their careers.

The Tkachuks, however, are adamant about possible physical violence.

“The games will be much more important,” said Matthew. “We’re going to ramp 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, Player. We both want to win and expect more battles.

“But never cross the line.”

Otherwise they have Mother to whom they are accountable.