TKACHUK LAUDS MEDICAL TEAMS ON FRONT LINES
Young Sens star tells NHL conference call teammates recovering from COVID-19
Brady Tkachuk is back at his family’s home in St. Louis during the current pause in the NHL schedule, working hard to stay in shape and hopeful to soon be back at Canadian Tire Centre to finish the season.
While the novel coronavirus has hit close to home for the Ottawa Senators winger, with two of his teammates testing positive for COVID-19, Tkachuk told a video conference call organized by the league and the players association on Monday afternoon that he’s been in touch with both players and they’re recovering.
“Those guys are doing well,” said Tkachuk.
“We’re a tight group so we’re always in contact with one another. I think all of us are just concerned about them, and everybody impacted by it.”
When the league told players they could return to their respective homes on March 16, Tkachuk decided it would be best for him to head for his parents’ residence in St. Louis during the shutdown. Not only is he spending time with father Keith and mother Chantal, buy also his brother Matthew — a forward with the Calgary Flames — and sister Taryn, an accomplished field hockey player, who also are back at home.
Tkachuk, who was joined by Boston captain Zdeno Chara, Toronto captain John Tavares and Detroit’s Dylan Larkin on the 40-minute call, has cherished this time with family and has tried to make the most of it since the NHL schedule was suspended on March 12.
“It’s a pretty crazy thing going on in this whole world, and just being able to spend time with family and hang out ... you don’t get this kind of opportunity to hang out with your family and be together for this time,” said Tkachuk. “It’s been good, but I think we’re all just concerned for everybody who has been impacted.”
However, having Matthew and Taryn around has helped to keep the competitive juices flowing while trying to stay in shape for the return of the season. They were all home for Keith’s 48th birthday party on Saturday, a quiet celebration that included a family walk “with some cake.
“Matthew has been here, so
I’ve been keeping busy with him and my younger sister,” Tkachuk said.
“We’ve got the Peloton (exercise bike) downstairs that we’ve been going on, and we’ve just been trying to keep active with basketball and stuff like that. It gets fiery. It’s been good.
“It’s stuff that we’re not used to, but we’re trying to make the most of it in this situation, and we’re just trying to stay active as much as we can.”
The call with the players wasn’t entirely serious.
The players had some fun fielding questions from moderator John Dellapina of the NHL. At one point, Tkachuk was asked which Ottawa teammate he would like to be quarantined with and which one he wouldn’t want to be holed up with. He picked blueliner Thomas Chabot as the player he wouldn’t mind living with for a couple of weeks and predictably used it as an opportunity to take a shot at centre Colin White.
“There are a couple of guys I’d want to be in quarantine with. One guy in particular is Chabot, he was my roommate this year,” Tkachuk said. “I know him pretty well and I’ve been over to his house for a couple of dinners and he makes some good meals.
“The one guy I wouldn’t, it’s probably Colin White, I’d probably just have steak and mashed potatoes for two weeks straight. He’s a great guy to hang out with, but I don’t think I could handle having steak and mashes potatoes for two weeks.”
The players also were given the opportunity to talk about what drives them nuts about each other when they’re opponents and Tavares noted the competitive nature that Tkachuk exhibits in the Battle of Ontario.
Tkachuk, who has 21 goals and 44 points in 71 games this season, is second in the NHL in hits with 303 this season. His physical play is a trademark of the success he’s had during his first two years in the league.
“Brady got me pretty good early, I think in the first game of the year this year, right around the bench. That didn’t make my ribs feel too great,” said Tavares.
“So thanks for that,” Tavares added while Tkachuk grinned.
Before the call ended, each player was given the opportunity to send a message to their fan base and Tkachuk’s was simple: He’s hopeful he’ll be back in Ottawa and back on the ice soon, while making a point to praise the front line workers in this crisis.
“For myself, and for everybody on the team, we miss being in Ottawa and just miss being a part of the community,” Tkachuk said. “All the fans miss the game. (The message) is just for everybody to stay safe and follow all those guidelines for social distancing, stay six feet away and wash your hands a lot. I think everybody knows that.
“You just want (people) to be safe, and for those first responders and doctors and nurses who are battling this virus, they’ve sacrificed so much. We all think of them and everybody affected. We all pray for them.”