SUNRISE, Fla. — In an exciting matchup, Brady Tkachuk found the net for the Ottawa Senators, while his brother, Matthew Tkachuk, scored for the Florida Panthers, showcasing their sibling rivalry once again on Saturday night. This game marked the third occasion in 24 encounters that both brothers scored in the same contest, a trend that began when Matthew was with the Calgary Flames on February 27, 2021, and continued on October 29, 2022, following his trade to the Panthers.
In the coming weeks, the Tkachuk brothers will swap their fierce competition for teamwork as they join forces at the 4 Nations Face-Off tournament starting Wednesday. “It’s going to be way more fun to be on the same side as opposed to playing against him,” Matthew Tkachuk expressed after contributing to Florida’s decisive 5-1 victory over Ottawa with three points.
The game kicked off with Brady Tkachuk scoring in the first period, notching his 21st goal of the season, which brought him level with Matthew in both overall goals this season and their combined tally of seven goals in direct matchups. However, the tie was short-lived as Matthew responded by scoring his 22nd goal in the second period, helping trigger a flurry of four goals from the Panthers during that same period.
The on-ice rivalry is set to evolve from competition to camaraderie as they both don the USA Hockey jersey, following in the footsteps of their father, NHL veteran Keith Tkachuk, who represented the United States in four Olympics and recorded a hat trick during the 2004 World Cup of Hockey. “It’s going to be amazing,” Brady Tkachuk shared prior to the game. “It’s something that we’ve always dreamt of doing together.”
Matthew echoed this sentiment post-game, highlighting the honor of wearing the national crest: “To represent my country, to wear that crest, it’s such an honor being able to be on a team that says the United States of America.”
This game also marked Brady Tkachuk’s first return to Sunrise since the postgame festivities on June 24, 2024, when the Panthers triumphed over the Edmonton Oilers in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final. He had been there to support Matthew throughout the playoffs, and now, as the Senators head into the break, they find themselves firmly in the playoff race.
Despite being in his seventh NHL season, Brady Tkachuk has yet to participate in playoff action, but Matthew is hopeful that this will change. “That’s the most special memory, just being able to see my best friend accomplish our childhood dream,” Brady reflected on witnessing Matthew’s Stanley Cup victory. “And to see that and see how happy he was, it definitely lit a fire inside me to be able to do it myself. I’m looking forward to that day.”
