Keith Tkachuk Biography
American former professional ice hockey player Keith Matthew Tkachuk (/kəˈtʃʌk/; born March 28, 1972) spent 18 years of his career in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Winnipeg Jets, Phoenix Coyotes, St. Louis Blues, and Atlanta Thrashers before retiring in 2010. Brady and Matthew, his sons, are players for the Ottawa Senators and the Florida Panthers, respectively. He is the sixth player in American history to reach 1,000 points and one of five players of American descent to reach 500 goals. He is regarded as one of the best players in NHL history to be born in the United States. He is one of four eligible players who do not currently have a Hockey Hall of Fame membership, out of 47 players who have scored 500 goals.
Keith Tkachuk Profile
- Full Name: Keith Matthew Tkachuk
- Date of Birth: March 28, 1972
- Age: 51 years old
- Gender: Male
- Place of Birth: Melrose, Massachusetts, U.S.A
- Nationality: American
- Profession: Former Ice Hockey Player
- Height: 6’2″ (1.88 m)
- Parents: John Tkachuk (Father), Gerry Tkachuk (Mother)
- Siblings: Kevin Tkachuk, Mary Kay Tkachuk
- Spouse: Chantal Oster
- Children: 3
- Relationship Status: Married
- Net Worth: $55 million
Keith Tkachuk’s Net Worth
Keith Tkachuk is worth $55 million in total. The majority of his income was amassed during his prosperous NHL career.
During his stint in the league, Tkachuk had one of the highest salaries of any player.
Keith Tkachuk Early Life & Education
The present-day 51-year-old Keith Matthew Tkachuk was born in Melrose, Massachusetts, on March 28, 1972.
With his mother, Gerry Tkachuk, and father, John Tkachuk, he was raised in a loving household. Kevin and Mary Kay Tkachuk are Keith’s two siblings.
Keith showed an interest in hockey at a young age. He was surrounded by ice hockey while growing up in Massachusetts, a state with a vibrant ice hockey culture.
Tkachuk, who is of American descent, seized the chance to succeed in the game he loved.
Keith Tkachuk’s playing Career
Early career/background
Tkachuk was up in Charlestown, Massachusetts, attended Malden Catholic High School in Malden, Massachusetts, and played high school hockey there. He was born in the Melrose/Wakefield Hospital in Melrose, Massachusetts. Tkachuk participated in one season of undergraduate hockey at Boston University. In addition, he was a member of Team USA in 1992 and the 1991 and 1992 US national junior teams. The Winnipeg Jets selected him in the first round of the 1990 NHL Entry Draft, 19th overall. The pick was obtained from the Buffalo Sabres in the trade that brought Dale Hawerchuk to Buffalo. Throughout his career, Tkachuk wore the jerseys of a center, left-wing, and right-wing.
Eddie Olczyk gave Tkachuk the moniker “Walt,” which he has earned. This nickname may be a nod to the legendary center Walter Tkaczuk, who was a member of the New York Rangers from 1967 to 1981. The two players are unrelated to one another, and their last names are pronounced similarly but spelled differently (being the Polish and English transliterations, respectively, of the Ukrainian “Ткачyк”). Tkachuk earned the nickname “Big Walt” from St. Louis Blues fans and announcers for his aggressive play in front of the net, as he used his bulk and strength to beat opposition defensemen.
Winnipeg Jets (1992–1996)
Tkachuk made his NHL debut on February 28, 1992, against the Vancouver Canucks, just a few days after the 1992 Winter Olympics came to a close. In that game, he recorded an assist. He would play with the Jets until the end of the season, totaling eight points from 17 appearances. During that year, he scored three goals in seven games during the Stanley Cup playoffs. Tkachuk’s official rookie season was 1992–93, the next season. In 83 games, he scored 28 goals and 51 points by the end of the season, including 12 straight from March 9 to April 3, 1993.
Two weeks after scoring his first hat-trick against the Philadelphia Flyers, on November 3, 1993, Tkachuk was named club captain for the next season. Among his season-long achievements were leading the Jets in points (81) and power-play goals (22), as well as goals (41). Tkachuk was second on the Jets in points scored and earned all-star second-team accolades during the 1994–1995 season, which was cut short due to a labor lockout.
1995-96 season
It was evident by the end of the 1994–1995 season that the Jets were in a terrible financial position. Even though this ultimately led to the organization’s sale to Minnesota-based interests, during the 1995 off-season, significant efforts were made to maintain the team in Winnipeg. At the time, Tkachuk was a restricted free agent who demanded a trade and stated unequivocally that he would never sign with Winnipeg again. The Jets made multiple attempts to reach an agreement with teams, but they were unable to complete a trade.
Although restricted free players were permitted to negotiate directly with other teams under the then-new CBA, Tkachuk was first hesitant to sign an offer sheet because Winnipeg would have the option to match it. However, the Chicago Blackhawks eventually convinced Tkachuk to accept a front-loaded $17 million five-year offer sheet, with $6 million due in the first season, after growing unhappy with the lack of progress in discussions. To the dismay of Tkachuk and the Blackhawks alike, though, any notion that the team’s dire financial circumstances would prevent them from fulfilling these commitments was swiftly disproved when the Jets matched the offer sheet in less than six hours.
Tkachuk was demoted as captain and replaced by Kris King due to a contract disagreement, but he still recorded a career-high 50 goals and 98 points, which was the closest he had ever been to hitting the 100-point mark. Tkachuk also led the Jets in shots (249), plus-minus rating (+11), game-winning goals (6), and power-play goals (20).
The Jets suffered a six-game loss to the Detroit Red Wings, the winners of the Presidents’ Trophy, despite Tkachuk’s two goals and one assist during the series. Tkachuk led the Jets in a farewell skate around Winnipeg Arena in gratitude for the supporters following the team’s 4-1 loss in Game 6, the last game played in Winnipeg before moving to Phoenix.
Phoenix Coyotes (1996–2001)
In 1996, the Jets moved to Phoenix, Arizona, when their discussions to transfer to Minnesota broke down. Tkachuk joined the new Phoenix Coyotes and relocated with the franchise. In addition, he was named captain again, taking Kris King’s place. He scored his first NHL All-Star Game berth and had his career-high 52 goals with Phoenix in the 1996–97 campaign.
During the 1997–98 season, he also led the club in shots, points, power-play goals, game-winning goals, and goals, which earned him a spot in the All-Star game for the second time in a row. Tkachuk led the team in goals, power-play goals, game-winning goals, shots, and plus-minus during the 1998–1999 campaign. He was also selected to the All-Star Game once more. Tkachuk made an appearance on the cover of the video game NHL Breakaway ’98 in 1997. Along with being a superstar, he won two boards with Phoenix in Gretzky ’98. Tkachuk was also a major player in the hotel room destruction that occurred during the 1998 Nagano Olympics.
Tkachuk was traded by the Coyotes to the St. Louis Blues in 2001 for Ladislav Nagy, Michal Handzuš, Jeff Taffe, and a first-round draft pick (Ben Eager) after he struggled with injuries for the next two seasons. There, he was reunited with former teammate Dallas Drake, who had signed a free-agent deal with the Blues in the summer of 2000. Tkachuk would depart the Coyotes with a record that included being first in penalty minutes (1,508) and second in goals ever (323).
St. Louis Blues (2001–2007)
Tkachuk scored six goals and eight points in the last 12 games of the 2000–01 season, leaving an immediate impression on the Blues. That season, the Blues advanced to the Western Conference Final of the playoffs, where they were defeated by the Colorado Avalanche, the Stanley Cup winners in 2001. Tkachuk sustained multiple injuries throughout his time with the Blues, and at the start of the 2005–06 season, he went to training camp overweight and failed his physical. As a result, the team temporarily suspended him.
Atlanta Thrashers (2007)
Tkachuk was moved to the Atlanta Thrashers on February 25, 2007, in return for Glen Metropolit, a 2007 first-round selection, a 2007 third-round pick, and a 2008 second-round pick.
Return to St. Louis (2007–2010)
On June 26 of that year, Tkachuk was purchased by St. Louis once more in exchange for a conditional first-round selection in 2008, along with a conditional fourth-round draft pick. (The Thrashers would have received Atlanta’s first-round selection in 2008 if Tkachuk had re-signed.) Atlanta was awarded a conditional fourth-round selection in 2008 when the Blues signed Tkachuk to a two-year contract and gained exclusive negotiation rights.
On June 30, Tkachuk agreed to a new $8 million, two-year contract with the Blues. Tkachuk stated of the Blues after he resigned, “I see a lot of wonderful things occurring… They will put forth a lot of effort to improve this hockey team.” After acquiring Tkachuk, the Blues added left-winger Paul Kariya to further demonstrate their superiority. Andy Murray, the head coach of the Blues, declared that he would test a line in which Tkachuk would center Brad Boyes on the right and Kariya on the left wing.
Tkachuk became the 41st player in NHL history to score his 500th goal on April 6, the final day of the 2007–08 regular season. Only three other players who were born in the United States have accomplished this feat.
With goal number 511 on November 30, 2008, Tkachuk reached 1,000 NHL points for his career. In his 1,077th NHL game, he became the sixth American and the 72nd overall to reach that milestone. On June 19, 2009, he agreed to a one-year contract extension with the Blues. Tkachuk declared on April 7, 2010, that he would be giving up hockey at the end of the 2009–10 campaign. Two nights later, on April 9, 2010, he participated in his final NHL game.
Keith Tkachuk’s Style of Play
Tkachuk, one of the best power forwards of his generation, was renowned for his physicality and aggressive playmaking while he was a reliable scorer. Throughout his 19 NHL seasons, Tkachuk recorded more than 100 penalty minutes ten times, including three seasons with more than 200 minutes. Tkachuk was well-known for his ability to score goals. He scored 30 goals eight times, including two seasons of 40 goals and two consecutive seasons of 50 goals, the latter of which saw him lead the NHL in goals with 52.
Keith Tkachuk’s Personal Life
Tkachuk met Chantal Oster in Winnipeg and the two have been married since February 28, 1997. Together, they have three children: Brady, Taryn, and Matthew. In addition to being an investor in the sports talk radio station KFNS (590 AM, St. Louis MO), he is still a fan favorite in St. Louis. He coaches the St. Louis Blues Peewee AAA hockey team as an assistant.
On his mother’s side, Tkachuk is Irish. He grew up with Tom Fitzgerald, the general manager of the New Jersey Devils, as a cousin. Tkachuk was unsure of the origin of his Ukrainian surname when asked, speculating that it might be “Polish, Russian, [or] Ukrainian, one of those.” He is also related to brothers Jimmy and Kevin Hayes, the former of whom played in the NHL and passed away on August 23, 2021, and the latter of whom is a player for the St. Louis Blues.
Keith Tkachuk Trivia
American Olympian three times (1992, 1998, 2002) of origin in Ukraine.
silver medalist at the 2002 Winter Olympics at the Olympics.
while playing NCAA hockey for Boston University, drafted in round 1 (19th overall) in the 1990 NHL Entry Draft by the Winnipeg Jets, who are now the Phoenix Coyotes.
The day after Tkachuk broke his left foot preventing a shot with it, his daughter Taryn was born. He will miss four to six weeks. (October 31, 2002)
he and his wife Chantal Oster are parents to three children: daughter Taryn Tkachuk (born November 1, 2002) and sons Matthew Brendan Tkachuk (born December 11, 1997) and Braeden “Brady” Tkachuk (born September 16, 1999).
became the first player to be born in the United States to lead the NHL in goals (52 during the 1996–1997 season).
(March 13, 2001) traded by the Phoenix Coyotes for Jeff Taffe, Michael Handzus, Ladislav Nagy, and a first-round draft pick in 2001 or 2002 to the St. Louis Blues.
a member of the United States hockey team, the 1996 World Cup winners.
a member of the US National Junior Teams in 1991 and 1992.
June 26 The St. Louis Blues receive back the rights to Tkachuk from the Atlanta Thrashers, regaining the conditional first-round pick that St. Louis had forfeited on February 25 in exchange for Tkachuk.
Keith Tkachuk Honors And Awards
| League | Honor | Description |
|---|---|---|
| NHL | Second All-Star Team | 1997-98, 1994-95 |
| NHL | Named to play in the NHL All-Star Game | 2008-09, 2003-04, 1998-99, 1997-98, 1996-97 |
| HE | All-Rookie Team | 1990-91 |
| Olympic | Olympic Silver Medal | 2002 (USA) |
Keith Tkachuk Select milestones
- 1,000 games played — December 1, 2007, against the Chicago Blackhawks
- 700 career points — April 5, 2002, against the Chicago Blackhawks
- 400 career goals — October 12, 2003, against the Colorado Avalanche
- 500 career goals — April 6, 2008, against the Columbus Blue Jackets
- 1,000 career points — November 30, 2008, against the Atlanta Thrashers
Keith Tkachuk Social Media
- Instagram handle: N/A
- Twitter handle: N/A
What nationality is Keith Tkachuk?
Bio. Keith Tkachuk played in the NHL for 19 seasons after the Winnipeg Jets selected him 19th overall in the 1990 NHL Entry Draft. He is one of just four players of American descent to have 500 NHL goals in his career.
Has Keith Tkachuk won a cup?
Tkachuk skated for Team USA twice while he was with the Winnipeg/Phoenix franchise. He helped the Americans win the World Cup of Hockey in 1996 and took part in his second Olympic Winter Games in 1998.
How many sons does Keith Tkachuk have in the NHL?
Brady and Matthew, his sons, are players for the Ottawa Senators and the Florida Panthers, respectively. He is the sixth player in American history to reach 1,000 points and one of five players of American descent to reach 500 goals.
How many goals did Keith Tkachuk score in the NHL?
For eighteen seasons, Keith Tkachuk was a member of the Coyotes, Blues, and Thrashers. In 1,201 games, he recorded 538 goals, 527 assists, and a plus-minus of +33.
Where did Tkachuk grow up?
He was chosen by the Flames with the sixth overall pick in the first round of the 2016 NHL Entry Draft. Scottsdale, United States of America. Tkachuk, the son of retired NHL player Keith Tkachuk, was reared in the Creve Coeur, Missouri, suburb of St. Louis after being born in Scottsdale, Arizona.
