Matthew Tkachuk is not the only one in his family to make a large impact in the NHL.
Matthew Tkachuk has put the world on notice through the 2023 NHL Playoffs helping the Florida Panthers reach the Stanley Cup Final. What some are unaware of is that he is not the first Tkachuk to play in the NHL.
Matthew’s father Keith Tkachuk had an illustrious 18-year career which was partly headlined by his tenure with the Phoenix Coyotes.
The former left winger was drafted by the Winnipeg Jets with the 19th overall pick in the 1990 NHL Draft. By just his third season in the NHL, Tkachuk was already one of the top goal scorers as he had 41 goals to go along with 40 assists and 81 points during the 1993-94 campaign for Winnipeg.
When the Jets relocated to Phoenix in 1996, so did Tkachuk. He became the Coyotes first captain in franchise history, really helping the team establish an identity. During Arizona’s inaugural season, Tkachuk had one of his best statistical years tallying a league leading 52 goals.
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“Everybody was concentrating on him every time he was on the ice; he was the number one player they were trying to shut down,” former Coyotes forward Dallas Drake said via PHNX’s Craig Morgan. “It’s incredibly hard to score 50 goals, let alone do it back-to-back seasons so kudos to him.”
It was not only Tkachuk’s impressive play on the ice that made him a truly special player but it was also the way he conducted himself as captain.
“For me, as a broadcaster covering the team, he is kind of a masterclass in what leadership is all about,” Bally Sports Arizona’s Todd Walsh said via Morgan. “Being around it from day one, and seeing what he was all about as the captain really shaped the way I see the sport even today.
“Standing up and facing the music every single night was his responsibility and he did it. He never blinked. Whether it was talking between periods when they were down three goals or they got smoked or he had a hat trick, he was there. That approach has waned considerably. Things have changed so much [in today’s game], but he understood the pulpit that he had. If he had to say things he said them and he did it with a twinkle in his eye which made it all the more fun to be around.”
Tkachuk paved the way for another eventual Coyotes captain Shane Doan who always looked up to Tkachuk.
“I looked up to him,” Doan said via NHL.com. “The way that he played the game, the way that he carried himself. He had a big personality. I just really admired him and wanted to play like him and just try to be like him. He did an unbelievable job of just encouraging me and pointing things out to me. As I got more comfortable on the team, he was great to me. I can't say enough good things about the way he treated me.”
During Tkachuk’s five year tenure in Arizona, he made the All-Star team three times while he had a total of 179 goals, 155 assists and 334 points. He was inducted into the Coyotes Ring of Honor in 2011.
Tkachuk helped put the Coyotes on the map so his legacy and impact in Arizona will never be forgotten.