When Toronto Maple Leafs forward Auston Matthews withdrew from competition in the 2020 Honda NHL All-Star Game, it opened the door for young Brady Tkachuk to take part in the event along with his brother, Matthew.
Though the two brothers play on teams in opposing divisions, the experience is definitely something that will be more memorable for them than most, because not only is it their first ever All-Star appearance, but also because they grew up together in St. Louis.
Things have come full-circle for the youngsters, who in 2001, relocated with their parents from Scottsdale, Arizona to St. Louis when their father, Keith Tkachuk, was traded to the St. Louis Blues. They were ages three and one, respectively, the first time they set foot in the arena in St. Louis, now called the Enterprise Center and now they return as young, budding NHL stars, following in dad's footsteps.
From the word "go" Matthew and Brady were all about hockey and one of their absolute favourite times of the year was All-Star weekend. Imagine being knee-high to a grasshopper and rubbing elbows with Patrick Kane, Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin. How about retired legends like Joe Sakic, Mike Modano, Nicklas Lidstrom and Chris Pronger?
A former teammate of their father, Pronger recalls the Tkachuk brothers having a penchant for causing a ruckus long before they began playing professional hockey.
"They were brawling in the room all the time," the former Blues defenseman said with a laugh. "I remember one time Brady broke his finger and it didn't even faze him.
"I looked down, and it's crooked, and he kind of cried but not really. He was only like, 4 or 5 maybe. He sat in [Keith's] locker and just kind of hung out, almost like he was taking a couple deep breaths and regrouping."
When asked about the ordeal, Brady appeared to have some suppressed memories of the incident.
"I don't remember the broken finger," Brady said. "But I do remember the hit from behind into the couch."
Brady was apparently nailed in the back by Matthew in the wives' room after a Blues win, sending Brady crashing forehead-first into a couch, resulting in Keith having to take Brady to the Blues training staff to be fixed up.
"That's the legendary story, I guess, that nobody's going to forget," Matthew said. "I'd like to forget it, but everyone always brings it up."
With the pair all grown up, they will be taking to the ice alongside some of the games most elite players, once their idols, now their peers. It must be a surreal experience for the Tkachuk boys, who were mere spectators just a handful of years ago, following the NHL All-Stars around as two of the game's biggest fanboys.
"I just remember following around all the players," Matthew said. "We looked up to my dad, but I think at something like that, we were more obsessed with guys like [Chicago Blackhawks forward Patrick Kane].
"I remember [Washington Capitals forward Alex Ovechkin] was there and [Pittsburgh Penguins forward Evgeni Malkin]. All these guys were there, and those were my favorite players growing up watching.
"And so I think that once we were able to be at the age where we were fans of the game and fans of these guys, that's where we started to appreciate a lot. We got tons of pictures. My mom always made us take pictures.
"Yeah, it was fun to be a part of something like that, especially at the age where we could remember it."
Both brothers are expected to compete against one another in the new NHL Shooting Stars challenge, where the players are expected to be up in the stands with the fans, standing on a platform and shooting pucks down onto the ice at targets scattered throughout the ice surface.
There's no doubt that the brothers have lived the dream, growing up as close as they did to the NHL and now, through hard work and determination, they are carrying on their family name in the only way they know how. On the ice, two of the brightest young players in the game. Sure, they may skirt the line on occasion, but what is the game of hockey without a few good pests to make things interesting?
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NPQ
