Sibling relationships can, even at the best of times, be complex. But when you’re an NHLer and your sibling is too, albeit playing for a rival team, things get a whole lot more complex and complicated. Just ask the Tkachuk brothers. As the Stanley Cup Playoffs draw came out, there was one exciting family affair that the NHL world was looking forward to. It was a potential second-round clash between the Panthers and the Senators, featuring Matthew and Brady Tkachuk. While the Panthers sailed through to the second round, the Senators stumbled, losing their series against the Maple Leafs 4-2. Thus, the hopes of the two brothers facing each other were dashed, which many fans had looked forward to. Now, after losing the playoff tie against the Maple Leafs, Brady Tkachuk opened up about following his brother in the tournament.
The Senators’ captain was disappointed by the fact that he couldn’t make it through to the next round, where he could’ve played against his brother. Although battling an injury, Brady continued to play for the Senators in what was a crucial tie. However, he was dejected after losing and expressed his emotions during the post-game interview.
Asked if he would watch the Panthers games where his brother is playing, Brady revealed, “Yeah, I mean, yeah I guess a little bit of that is that disappointment that we’re still not playing where we played well enough to get to where we’re at and the disappointment of not continuing I guess is a part of it.”
“And for me it’s just take care of everything we need to take care of individually for the next couple weeks and decompress, regroup and he knows that I’ve always been there every step of the way for him and it’s just different this year because we consider ourselves to should be playing, still be playing and yeah just taking time.”
NHL, Eishockey Herren, USA Ottawa Senators at Los Angeles Kings Nov 27, 2022 Los Angeles, California, USA Ottawa Senators left wing Brady Tkachuk 7 celebrates after defeating the Los Angeles Kings in overtime at Crypto.com Arena. Los Angeles Crypto.com Arena California USA, EDITORIAL USE ONLY PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xJaynexKamin-Onceax 20221127_cec_aj4_374
Further, he went on to add, “I’ll definitely watch him and wish him all the best but I think just take this time to regroup, reset and just kind of reflect on everything that’s happened this past year.”
Earlier this season, the two brothers played against each other for the 24th time, and both went on to score in that game. However, it was Matthew’s Panthers who had the last laugh, prevailing 5-1 in a pulsating contest. But while the NHL brings brotherly rivalry, and some disappointment as Brady Tkachuk’s words have shown, international tournaments elicit the opposite emotion.
Matthew and Brady Tkachuk’s homecoming
Shortly after the game featuring the two Tkachuk brothers on opposite ends of the ice, they were set to team up for the 4 Nations Face-Off and represent their country, the United States. It was a dream-come-true moment for the Tkachuk brothers and playing together was a cherry on the cake. As a result, Matthew couldn’t control his emotions about playing together with his brother.
He said, “It’s going to be way more fun to be on the same side as opposed to playing against him. It’s going to be amazing. It’s something that we’ve always dreamt of doing together. 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.”
Similarly, Brady relished the special memory of representing America with his brother on the side. However, both Matthew and Brady suffered from injuries during the tournament and had to miss a few games. Nonetheless, it was a priceless experience and would be cherished by the Tkachuk brothers forever.
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