Setting the World On Fire
Quentin Young profiles the game of second generation NHL player Matt Tkachuk, a future star on the Calgary Flames.
Son of US Hockey Hall of Famer and thousand point legend Keith Tkachuk is following closely in his father’s footsteps. Matt Tkachuk plays left wing, just like his dad, and coincidentally was also drafted to a Canadian team.
The similarities don’t stop there. Tkachuk Sr. put up 51 points in 83 games his rookie season with the original Winnipeg Jets, and son Matt had 48 points in 76 games. Matthew is 6'2" and weighs in at 202 pounds. He has size to support his physical play style, and should fill out even more over the next two or three years. That said, it’s an equally common sight to see this fireball burning his opponents with speed as he comes down the left wing. One of the things that stands out most about the young Flames winger is another thing he learned from his dad - he had 105 penalty minutes this season, comparable to Keith’s 201, given the different eras.
An incessant thorn in the side of many players this season, the 2016 6th overall pick is an exhilarating mix of peskiness, playmaking and a dash of natural goal-scoring ability.
A blue-blood pest, the former London Knight had 80 PIMs in 57 games alongside Toronto Maple Leaf star forward Mitch Marner. Tkachuk stole Brent Burns’ stick and brought the stick back to his bench as though it were a game of capture the flag. The flamboyant two-minute penalty brought back memories for Marner, who said “I’ve seen him do that a couple of times — maybe not steal it into a bench, but I’ve definitely seen him steal sticks out of guy’s hands last year (2015–16). That’s the kind of guy he is.”
Tkachuk drew attention and outrage when he was handed a two game suspension for elbowing Los Angeles Kings captain Drew Doughty during a Flames win. The franchise defenseman called Tkachuk a “dirty player” in an interview. The Flames rookie responded, saying “I expected more from him, honestly, than to go right to the media and start complaining after a loss, but he’s a good player.”
If the fearless Tkachuk can duplicate or progress next season, he and linemate Mikael Backlund may be one of the most dangerous second lines on the ice next season.
Keep up with Matt on Twitter: @TKACHUKycheese_
Quentin Young is a hockey writer for theocho.ca. He gets mad when his articles underperform, so please share this piece. Follow Quentin on Twitter at @young_quentin
