TKACHUK’S PARENTS AREN’T GOING HOME UNTIL SENS ROOKIE MAKES HIS NHL DEBUT
Former Blues star and his wife determined to see No. 2 son’s hockey dream come true
Call it the Brady Tkachuk Tour.
And Keith and Chantal Tkachuk won’t be returning to their St. Louis home until they get a chance to see their 19-year-old son, Brady, make his NHL debut with the Ottawa Senators.
Tkachuk’s parents had plans to be at Canadian Tire Centre to see Brady play in the home opener against the Chicago Blackhawks on Thursday night. They decided not to alter those plans after he was injured, because it gave them the chance to visit with their son and have dinner with him on Wednesday to make sure everything was OK.
They also planned to be at the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto for Saturday’s game, and they’ve got their fingers crossed he’ll be ready to return from the groin injury he suffered in the club’s final exhibition game against the Montreal Canadiens last Saturday.
“Hopefully, he’ll make his debut (Saturday),” Keith told this newspaper on Friday in a telephone interview.
Ottawa coach Guy Boucher threw some cold water on that possibility after the club’s skate on Friday when he called Tkachuk “highly doubtful” because the Senators wanted to wait until after Saturday’s skate to make sure “he was 100 per cent.” As a precaution, Paul Carey was recalled from the club’s AHL affiliate in Belleville.
So if Tkachuk doesn’t play Saturday, it will be on to Boston for Monday’s matinee against the Bruins at TD Garden. Does that mean Keith and Chantal will be headed there, too?
“Yeah, because my wife says we have to go,” Keith said with a laugh from the Ottawa airport. “I’m really hoping it’s (Saturday) because we really want to see his first game. We’re excited because this is something he’s always dreamed of doing, and just having the chance to speak with him the other night, he’s a different person than when he left us over the summer.
“I can see the excitement of being an NHL player, being around the guys, going to the rink and being in the lockerroom with the fellas. I just love the fact that he’s so happy and so proud to be (in Ottawa).”
Of course, when Keith speaks, it’s from experience. The 46-year-old was drafted No. 19 overall by the Winnipeg Jets in 1990. A prolific scorer and power forward, he started his career with the Jets in 1991, moved with the team to Phoenix, then had a long stay in St. Louis, a short stop in Atlanta, and wrapped up his career back with the Blues in 2010.
He’s well aware of what Brady is going through right now.
“Any young guy in a position like that — and I know what it’s like to be a young guy in this league — these kids leave home at an early age and it’s hard because we’ve been around him so much,” said Keith. “I lived with him in Ann Arbor (Mich.) when he was going through the (United States) development program. We spent a lot of time together and he’s such a great kid.
“Any time you play, and especially when the direction of the team is a lot younger, you’re always concerned, but so far, from what I’ve seen with the way everybody has dealt with everything and the way he’s dealt with, everything is very, very positive.”
After being selected fourth overall by the Senators in the draft, Tkachuk had a difficult decision to make, but he opted to leave Boston University after only one season. When he does make his NHL debut, he’ll follow in the footsteps of his brother, Matthew, who’s in his third season with the Calgary Flames.
Leaving school was Brady’s choice, but it wasn’t done without consulting with Keith and Chantal. When he does make his debut, it will be the culmination of a lot of hard work.
“At the end of the day, all we really did is what most parents do, and that’s provide your children with the opportunity to do something they really enjoy,” Chantal said. “But at the end of the day, nobody is successful unless they work hard, and I’m proud of how hard (Brady) has worked to be where he is right now.
“I’m thrilled. I don’t think (Brady) ever doubted it would go any differently. As a parent, I struggled a little bit with him leaving school, and I was a little bit nervous and worried. He never doubted that he would acclimate.”
Of course, coming from a hockey family has helped Tkachuk make the transition.
“He’s respectful and understands the guys who have played for a long time in the lockerroom,” Keith said. “He’s not starstruck by all that. I brought my boys to the rink as much as possible. Granted, they didn’t watch the game, but they liked to have fun playing knee hockey, and they’ve been in locker-rooms.
“I had them on the ice with us and I was very lucky in St. Louis to have coaches who allowed the kids on the ice with us. That’s a good thing and a positive thing. They know how to treat people the right way. I think that’s made it easier for him in dealing with all this stuff.
“At the end of the day — he’s a big little kid — because he just has so much fun, he brings energy, and that’s what I love about him.”