| Keith Tkachuk | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 Tkachuk with theSt. Louis Blues in 2008 | |||
| Born | (1972-03-28)March 28, 1972 (age 53) Melrose, Massachusetts, U.S. | ||
| Height | 6 ft 2 in (188 cm) | ||
| Weight | 235 lb (107 kg; 16 st 11 lb) | ||
| Position | Left wing | ||
| Shot | Left | ||
| Played for | Winnipeg Jets Phoenix Coyotes St. Louis Blues Atlanta Thrashers | ||
| National team |  United States | ||
| NHL draft | 19th overall,1990 Winnipeg Jets | ||
| Playing career | 1992–2010 | ||
Keith Matthew Tkachuk (/kəˈtʃʌk/; born March 28, 1972) is anAmerican former professionalice hockey player who played in theNational Hockey League (NHL) in an 18-year career with theWinnipeg Jets,Phoenix Coyotes,St. Louis Blues andAtlanta Thrashers, retiring in 2010.[1][2] He is one of four American-born players to score 500 goals, and is the sixth American player to score 1,000 points. Tkachuk is considered to be among the elitepower forwards of his era,[3] and one of the best American-born players to play in the NHL.[4][5] Of the48 NHL players to have scored 500 goals, Tkachuk remains one of only four retired players to not be a member of theHockey Hall of Fame.
He is the father ofMatthew andBrady Tkachuk, who play for theFlorida Panthers and theOttawa Senators, respectively.
Tkachuk is ofUkrainian heritage. He was born at the Melrose/Wakefield Hospital inMelrose,Massachusetts, grew up inMedford, Massachusetts[6] and played high school hockey atMalden Catholic High School inMalden, Massachusetts.[7] Tkachuk played one season of collegiate hockey atBoston University, was a member of theUnited States national junior team in1991 and1992 and a member ofTeam USA in1992.[8] He was drafted in the first round, 19th overall, in the1990 NHL Entry Draft by theWinnipeg Jets, who acquired the pick from theBuffalo Sabres in the deal that sentDale Hawerchuk to Buffalo.[1] Tkachuk played as a center, left winger and right winger in his career.
Tkachuk has earned the nickname "Walt" (given to him byEddie Olczyk), possibly in reference toWalter Tkaczuk, a star center who played for theNew York Rangers from 1967 to 1981. The two players' last names are pronounced similarly but spelled differently (being the Polish and English transliterations, respectively, of the Ukrainian "Ткачук"), and the two men are not related to each other. With his strong play in front of the net, using his size and strength to battle opposing defensemen,St. Louis Blues broadcasters and fans dubbed Tkachuk "Big Walt."[9]
Only days after the end of the1992 Winter Olympics, Tkachuk made his NHL debut on February 28, 1992, against theVancouver Canucks, where he tallied an assist. He would finish the season playing with the Jets, scoring eight points in 17 games. In theStanley Cup playoffs that year, he scored three goals in seven games. The following season,1992–93, was Tkachuk's official rookie year. He appeared in 83 games and ended the season with 28 goals and 51 points, including a 12–game scoring streak from March 9 to April 3, 1993.
Tkachuk became the teamcaptain the next season on November 3, 1993, two weeks after recording his firsthat-trick, against thePhiladelphia Flyers. Some of his accomplishments from that season include leading the Jets in goals (41), points (81) and power-play goals (22). The1994–95 season, which was shortened by alabor lockout, saw Tkachuk earn all-star second-team honors, as well as being second on the Jets in points scored.
By the end of the 1994–95 season, it was clear that the Jets were in a dire financial situation. While this eventually resulted in the franchise being sold to Minnesota-based interests, serious efforts to keep the team in Winnipeg were still ongoing during the 1995 off-season. Tkachuk, a restricted free agent at the time, requested a trade and made it clear he would not re-sign with Winnipeg under any circumstances. While the Jets attempted to negotiate a deal with several teams, a trade could not be finalized.
While the then-new collective bargaining agreement allowed restricted free agents to negotiate directly with other teams, Tkachuk was initially reluctant to sign anoffer sheet since Winnipeg would have the right to match it. Eventually however, frustrated by the lack of progress in negotiations, theChicago Blackhawks persuaded Tkachuk to sign a front-loaded five-yearoffer sheet worth$17 million, with$6 million due in the first season.[10] However, to the disappointment of both the Blackhawks and Tkachuk, any assumption that the organization's poor financial situation would preclude them from meeting such obligations quickly proved incorrect as the Jets matched the offer sheet within six hours.[10]
Due to the contract dispute, Tkachuk was stripped of the captaincy and replaced byKris King; nonetheless, he set a career-high 50 goals and 98 points, the closest he ever came to reaching the100-point plateau. Tkachuk also led the Jets in power play goals (20), game-winning goals (6), shots (249) andplus-minus rating (+11).[11]
Going up against thePresidents' Trophy-winningDetroit Red Wings, the Jets lost in six games, with Tkachuk scoring a goal and two assists in the series. After losing Game 6 by a score of 4–1, the final Jets game in the city ofWinnipeg before relocating to Phoenix, Tkachuk led the Jets in a final skate aroundWinnipeg Arena in appreciation of the fans.[12]
 | This section of abiography of a living personneeds additionalcitations forverification. Please help by addingreliable sources.Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced orpoorly sourcedmust be removed immediately from the article and its talk page, especially if potentiallylibelous. Find sources: "Keith Tkachuk" – news ·newspapers ·books ·scholar ·JSTOR(March 2020) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
After negotiations to move to Minnesota collapsed, the Jets relocated to Phoenix, Arizona, in 1996. Tkachuk moved with the team, remaining a member of the newly namedPhoenix Coyotes. He was also re-appointed captain, replacing Kris King. It was with Phoenix during the1996–97 season that he had his career-best 52 goals, and made his first appearance in theNHL All-Star Game. He also led the team in goals, points, power-play goals, game-winning goals and shots for the1997–98 season, earning him his second-straight All-Star appearance. For the1998–99 season, Tkachuk led the team in goals, power-play goals, game-winning goals, shots and plus-minus, and again was named to the All-Star Game. In 1997, Tkachuk appeared on the front cover of the video gameNHL Breakaway '98. He is also a superstar in Gretzky ‘98 winning 2 BOARDS with Phoenix. During the 1998 Nagano Olympics, Tkachuk was also a central figure in the trashing of a hotel room.[13][14]
After struggling with injuries for the next two seasons, the Coyotes traded Tkachuk to theSt. Louis Blues in 2001 in exchange forLadislav Nagy,Michal Handzuš,Jeff Taffe and a first-round draft pick (Ben Eager), where he was reunited with former teammateDallas Drake, who had signed afree agent deal with the Blues in the summer of 2000.[15] Tkachuk would leave the Coyotes ranking second in all-time goals (323) and first in penalty minutes (1,508), among other records.
Tkachuk made an immediate impact on the Blues, scoring six goals and eight points in the final 12 games of the2000–01 season. The Blues made it to theWestern Conference Final in theplayoffs that season, ultimately losing to theColorado Avalanche, the eventual2001Stanley Cup champions. Tkachuk experienced several injuries while playing with the Blues, and was briefly suspended by the team when he reported to training camp overweight, failing his physical at the beginning of the2005–06 season.[16]
On February 25, 2007, Tkachuk was traded to theAtlanta Thrashers in exchange forGlen Metropolit, a first-round pick in2007, a third-round pick in 2007 and a second-round pick in2008.
On June 26 of the same year, St. Louis reacquired Tkachuk, along with a conditional fourth-round draft pick, in exchange for a conditional first-round pick in 2008. (If Tkachuk had re-signed with the Thrashers, the Blues would have acquired Atlanta's first-round pick in 2008.) Since the Blues acquired exclusive negotiating rights with Tkachuk and re-signed him to a two-year deal, Atlanta received a conditional fourth-round pick in 2008.[17]Tkachuk signed a new, two-year contract with the Blues for $8 million on June 30. Upon re-signing, Tkachuk said of the Blues, "I see a lot of good things happening... They're going to be very active in making this a better hockey team."[18] To help prove the Blues would be better, after signing Tkachuk, they signed left wingerPaul Kariya. Blues head coachAndy Murray announced that he would try a line where Tkachuk would be centering with Kariya on left wing andBrad Boyes on the right.[19]
On the last day of the2007–08 regular season, April 6, Tkachuk scored his 500th NHL goal, a milestone only three other American-born players have achieved, as well as the 41st player to reach the milestone in NHL history.[20]
On November 30, 2008, Tkachuk scored goal number 511, giving him 1,000 NHL points for his career. He became only the sixth American, and 72nd overall, to achieve that milestone; it came in his 1,077th NHL game. He signed a one-year contract extension with the Blues on June 19, 2009.[21] On April 7, 2010, Tkachuk announced that he would be retiring from hockey at the conclusion of the2009–10 season.[22] He played his final NHL game two nights later on April 9, 2010.
One of the elitepower forwards of his era, Tkachuk was known for his aggressive, physical style while consistently scoring points.[4] Tkachuk had more than 100penalty minutes in 10 of his 19 NHL seasons, including three seasons with over 200penalty minutes. Tkachuk was known for his goal-scoring prowess, scoring 30 goals eight times, including two 40-goal seasons and two back-to-back 50 goal seasons, the latter of which he led the NHL in goals, with 52.[4]
Tkachuk has been married to Chantal Oster, a native ofWinnipeg, Manitoba, since February 28, 1997.[23] Their two sons,Matthew andBrady, play in the NHL, and their daughter, Taryn, is anNCAA Division Ifield hockey player with theUniversity of Virginia.[24]
Tkachuk is ofUkrainian andIrish ancestry.[25] He is a cousin of former NHL player and current general manager of theNew Jersey Devils,Tom Fitzgerald, as well as a cousin of NHL playerKevin Hayes and his late brother,Jimmy Hayes.[6] Tkachuk's brother-in-law is NHL player agent Craig Oster, who represents numerous NHL players, includingErik Karlsson,Mark Stone andEvgeny Kuznetsov.[26]
Tkachuk led the NHL in goals during the 1996–97 season with 52, the first American-born player to do so.[27] That season he was also only the fourth player in NHL history to record 50 goals and 200 penalty minutes in a single season.
Other records:
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 1988–89 | Malden Catholic High School | HS-MA | 21 | 30 | 16 | 46 | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1989–90 | Malden Catholic High School | HS-MA | 6 | 12 | 14 | 26 | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1990–91 | Boston University | HE | 36 | 17 | 23 | 40 | 70 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1991–92 | United States | Intl | 45 | 10 | 10 | 20 | 141 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1991–92 | Winnipeg Jets | NHL | 17 | 3 | 5 | 8 | 28 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 30 | ||
| 1992–93 | Winnipeg Jets | NHL | 83 | 28 | 23 | 51 | 201 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 14 | ||
| 1993–94 | Winnipeg Jets | NHL | 84 | 41 | 40 | 81 | 255 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1994–95 | Winnipeg Jets | NHL | 48 | 22 | 29 | 51 | 152 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1995–96 | Winnipeg Jets | NHL | 76 | 50 | 48 | 98 | 156 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 22 | ||
| 1996–97 | Phoenix Coyotes | NHL | 81 | 52 | 34 | 86 | 228 | 7 | 6 | 0 | 6 | 7 | ||
| 1997–98 | Phoenix Coyotes | NHL | 69 | 40 | 26 | 66 | 147 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 10 | ||
| 1998–99 | Phoenix Coyotes | NHL | 68 | 36 | 32 | 68 | 151 | 7 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 13 | ||
| 1999–2000 | Phoenix Coyotes | NHL | 50 | 22 | 21 | 43 | 82 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | ||
| 2000–01 | Phoenix Coyotes | NHL | 64 | 29 | 42 | 71 | 108 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2000–01 | St. Louis Blues | NHL | 12 | 6 | 2 | 8 | 14 | 15 | 2 | 7 | 9 | 20 | ||
| 2001–02 | St. Louis Blues | NHL | 73 | 38 | 37 | 75 | 117 | 10 | 5 | 5 | 10 | 18 | ||
| 2002–03 | St. Louis Blues | NHL | 56 | 31 | 24 | 55 | 139 | 7 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 14 | ||
| 2003–04 | St. Louis Blues | NHL | 75 | 33 | 38 | 71 | 83 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 10 | ||
| 2005–06 | St. Louis Blues | NHL | 41 | 15 | 21 | 36 | 46 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2006–07 | St. Louis Blues | NHL | 61 | 20 | 23 | 43 | 92 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2006–07 | Atlanta Thrashers | NHL | 18 | 7 | 8 | 15 | 34 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 12 | ||
| 2007–08 | St. Louis Blues | NHL | 79 | 27 | 31 | 58 | 69 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2008–09 | St. Louis Blues | NHL | 79 | 25 | 24 | 49 | 61 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | ||
| 2009–10 | St. Louis Blues | NHL | 67 | 13 | 19 | 32 | 56 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| NHL totals | 1,201 | 538 | 527 | 1,065 | 2,219 | 89 | 28 | 28 | 56 | 176 | ||||
| Year | Team | Event | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | United States | WJC | 7 | 6 | 3 | 9 | 12 | |
| 1992 | United States | WJC | 7 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 6 | |
| 1992 | United States | OG | 8 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 12 | |
| 1996 | United States | WCH | 7 | 5 | 1 | 6 | 44 | |
| 1998 | United States | OG | 4 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 6 | |
| 2002 | United States | OG | 5 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 | |
| 2004 | United States | WCH | 5 | 5 | 1 | 6 | 23 | |
| 2006 | United States | OG | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | |
| Junior totals | 14 | 9 | 7 | 16 | 18 | |||
| Senior totals | 35 | 13 | 5 | 18 | 85 | |||
| Award | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| College | ||
| All-Hockey EastRookie Team | 1991 | |
| NHL | ||
| Second All-Star team | 1995,1998 | |
| All-Star Game | 1997,1998,1999,2004,2009 | |
| USA Hockey | ||
| Hall of Fame | 2012 | [29] |
Tkachuk was one of the NHL's top power forwards during his 18 seasons in the League, as well as one of its best U.S.-born players.
4. Keith Tkachuk
| Awards and achievements | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Winnipeg Jets first round draft pick 1990 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Winnipeg Jets captain 1993–95 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Phoenix Coyotes captain 1996–2001 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | EA Sports NHL cover athlete (Deluxe edition) 2026 With:Matthew Tkachuk &Brady Tkachuk | Succeeded by Incumbent |
