Tkachuk: Canada-USA Rivalry, Olympics, and New NHL CBA

The Tkachuks: On-Ice Celebration and Video Game Cover

Florida Panthers star player Matthew Tkachuk celebrated his second consecutive Stanley Cup championship alongside two key people in his life: his father, Keith Tkachuk, former NHL player, and his brother Brady Tkachuk, captain of the Ottawa Senators. Keith, smoking cigars and raising the Cup, and Brady, avoiding touching it out of superstition, shared this memorable moment. This month, the trio also stars on the cover of the Deluxe edition of the NHL 26 video game by EA Sports.

“As kids, Matthew and I dreamed of playing like our father. Even now, his influence on how we play and prepare is huge. It’s an honor to be on the cover. Having him by our side makes everything even better,” said Brady Tkachuk.

Brady Tkachuk

In an exclusive interview, Matthew and Brady Tkachuk shared details about their history with video games, the exciting Panthers’ offseason, Brady’s future in Ottawa, Matthew’s health for the upcoming season, and their opinions on the new NHL collective bargaining agreement. In addition, the brothers, named to the 2026 United States men’s ice hockey Olympic team, talked about the quest for the gold medal.

Is the Olympic victory at the 2026 Winter Games in Italy the ultimate rematch against Canada?

“I don’t know if we see it as a rematch, but it’s been a long time since American hockey has been at the top. Canada has dominated the Olympics, the World Cups, and even the world championships, although we recovered a bit of that this year. They have been the leaders in all of that and the team we have all been trying to overthrow,” commented Matthew Tkachuk.

Matthew Tkachuk

Brady, playing in a Canadian city while seeking Olympic gold for the United States, shared his perspective on this unique dynamic.

“Your childhood dream is to win the Stanley Cup and win a gold medal for your country. I know those have always been our two main goals. But we got into hockey, and a lot of people got into hockey, from the Miracle on Ice of 1980. And now, we have the opportunity to pave the way for the next generation of kids in the U.S. who might not be playing hockey if they couldn’t experience USA hockey in the Winter Olympics and potential gold medals,” said Brady Tkachuk.

Brady Tkachuk

The Tkachuk brothers are two of the six players already named to the 2026 Olympic team.The Tkachuk brothers, along with their father, are the athletes on the cover of NHL 26. Matthew and Brady revealed how they enjoyed playing video games together, with “jail” rules to make the game more exciting.

“We played the game as you would probably expect us to: turn off all the penalties, make all the guys really big and fast. It was like NHL prison rules. So it was a lot of fun,” Matthew said.

Matthew Tkachuk

Regarding in-game ratings, they revealed that although they don’t discuss it much, they do pay attention. Brady usually uses the game to see the ratings of his players. Matthew Tkachuk was also recently named to the President’s Council on Sports, Fitness, and Nutrition, joining figures like Wayne Gretzky and Mariano Rivera. However, he was unable to comment on the matter. Regarding the permanence of Sam Bennett, Aaron Ekblad, and Brad Marchand with the Panthers, Matthew expressed his surprise and joy, highlighting the importance of his teammates being happy and motivated.

“Of all of them, I had the most confidence that Ekblad would stay. Just because he’s been a Panther for life. I just think it was going to be impossible for him to leave. And then the other guys… I mean, this was an opportunity for them to cash in. You just didn’t know if it was going to be with us or not,” Matthew Tkachuk stated.

Matthew Tkachuk

“I had more confidence in Ekblad staying,” Matthew Tkachuk said about the defenseman. “Just because he’s been a Panther for life.”Brady spoke about the importance of the playoffs to dispel speculation about his departure from Ottawa and his commitment to the team.

“I think we really needed to make the playoffs to show everyone that we are a team capable of that, but also capable of doing more than just making the playoffs. The playoffs are great to get to, but that’s not our ultimate goal. The sky’s the limit for our group,” said Brady.

Brady Tkachuk

Brady also commented on Trevor Zegras’ fresh start in Philadelphia, highlighting his potential.

The 2019 draft’s pick number 9, Trevor Zegras, is having a fresh start with Philadelphia this season.Finally, Matthew talked about his injuries and the possibility of surgery, while both brothers expressed their approval of the NHL’s new collective bargaining agreement, especially the reduction of the preseason.

“That’s the main reason I like it. I’ve never liked the setup of the preseason. I mean, guys do a great job of getting in shape coming into camp. There’s captain skates before the preseason because everyone wants to come back and see the guys. So I think the preseason has been overrated. It’s too long and the games are too many,” Matthew stated.

Matthew Tkachuk

With the start of the season just around the corner, anticipation and excitement are growing for the Tkachuk brothers, both in the NHL and in their quest for Olympic gold.