Team USA’s Brady Tkachuk eager to build on family legacy at Milano Cortina 2026: “We’re very lucky to have each other”

In the second grade, a young and naive Brady Tkachuk presented his father – Keith Tkachuk – silver medal from the men’s ice hockey tournament at the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Olympics to his awed classmates during show-and-tell.

“I had no idea what the meaning of it was,” he told reporters during a Team USA conference call Monday (January 26). “But all my classmates loved it and thought it was the coolest thing ever. So I realized that what I brought was pretty cool.”

It was then and there that the seeds of a childhood dream he shared with his older brother, Matthew Tkachukwere screwed. They would try to follow in their father’s footsteps and represent Team USA on the Olympic stage.

Fast forward just under twenty years, and it’s just a few weeks before that dream becomes a remarkable reality at Milano Cortina 2026.

“It’s hard not to get excited about competing with the best players in this country, and seeing some of the best athletes in the world compete against each other for the gold medal,” admitted the 26-year-old captain of the Ottawa Senators.

“I never really expected this to be a dream come true,” he added. “Of course, that’s always something you wanted to do: play with your brother at any level and create memories beyond that, but the fact that we can do it at the highest level, at the Olympic Games, because we are both Olympians, is more than a dream.”

Both he and Matthew were named to Team USA’s preliminary roster in June 2026. But a lower-body injury left question marks hanging over Matthew’s ability to play in the Olympics.

Those concerns were put to rest last Monday (Jan. 19) when Matthew returned to the ice for the Florida Panthers, paving the way for the brothers to realize the Olympic dream that first emerged in the shadow of their father’s 18-year career. NHL career.

“All credit goes to our parents, my sister and all our family and friends [and] coaches who helped both of us get to where we are today,” exclaimed the second-generation athlete.Becoming an Olympian is not a one-man job; it takes a whole village. We are very lucky to have each other.”

When asked if his father had passed on any words of wisdom or helpful insights for performances on the Olympic ice, Tkachuk replied, “He didn’t really give us much advice about certain things to expect.”

“I think he just wants us to go in.” [with an] open mind, let our experiences be our own and take it all in and enjoy every second.