Keith Tkachuk
Encyclopedia
Keith Matthew Tkachuk is a retired American professional ice hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...

 player who played for four teams and three franchises in his 19-year career. He is one of only four American-born players to score 500 goals, and is the sixth American player to score 1,000 points.

Playing career

Tkachuk began his hockey career at Malden Catholic High School
Malden Catholic High School
Malden Catholic High School, founded in 1932, is a private, Catholic secondary school for young men located in Malden, Massachusetts. It is located in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston. The school was founded by the Congregation of the Brothers of St. Francis Xavier , an international...

 in Malden, Massachusetts. Tkachuk played collegiate hockey at Boston University
Boston University
Boston University is a private research university located in Boston, Massachusetts. With more than 4,000 faculty members and more than 31,000 students, Boston University is one of the largest private universities in the United States and one of Boston's largest employers...

, was a member of the U.S. National Junior team in 1991
1991 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships
The 1991 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships was the 15th edition of the World Junior Ice Hockey Championships and was held in various communities in Saskatchewan, Canada...

 and 1992
1992 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships
The 1992 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships was the 16th edition of the World Junior Ice Hockey Championships and was held from December 26, 1991 until January 4, 1992. It was held in Füssen and Kaufbeuren, Germany...

, and a member of the U.S. Olympic team in 1992
Ice hockey at the 1992 Winter Olympics
Ice hockey at the 1992 Winter Olympics was held at the Méribel Ice Palace in Méribel, a ski resort about 45 km from host city Albertville. The competition, held from 8 to 23 February, was won by the Unified Team.-Final rankings:# # # # # # #...

. He was drafted in the first round (19th overall) in the 1990 entry draft by the Winnipeg Jets who acquired the pick from the Buffalo Sabres
Buffalo Sabres
The Buffalo Sabres are a professional ice hockey team based in Buffalo, New York. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League .-Founding and early success: 1970-71—1980-81:...

 in the deal that sent Dale Hawerchuk
Dale Hawerchuk
Dale Hawerchuk is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey centre who played in the National Hockey League for 16 seasons. He won the NHL's Calder Memorial Trophy as the league's Rookie of the Year in 1982 and was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in his second year of eligibility in 2001...

 to Buffalo. Tkachuk played as Center, Left Winger and Right Winger in his career.

Tkachuk has earned the nickname "Walt" (given to him by Eddie Olczyk
Ed Olczyk
Edward Walter "Eddie" Olczyk is an American former head coach for the National Hockey League Pittsburgh Penguins and former center for Toronto Maple Leafs, Winnipeg Jets, New York Rangers, Los Angeles Kings, Chicago Blackhawks and Pittsburgh Penguins...

), possibly in reference to Walter Tkaczuk, a star center who played for the New York Rangers from 1967 to 1981. The two players' last names are pronounced similarly but spelled differently, and the two men are not related to each other. With his great play in front of the net, St. Louis Blues broadcasters and fans dubbed the name "Big Walt" as well from this name.

Winnipeg Jets (1992–1996)

Only days after the end of the Olympics, Tkachuk made his NHL debut on February 28, 1992, against the Vancouver Canucks
Vancouver Canucks
The Vancouver Canucks are a professional ice hockey team based in Vancouver, :British Columbia, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The Canucks play their home games at Rogers Arena, formerly known as General Motors Place,...

 and tallied an assist. He would finish the season with the Jets, getting eight points in 17 games. In the playoffs that year, he scored three goals in seven games. The following season, 1992–93, was Tkachuk's official rookie year. He appeared in 83 games and ended the season with 28 goals and 51 points, including a 12–game scoring streak from March 9 to April 3, 1993.

Tkachuk became the team captain
Captain (ice hockey)
In ice hockey, each team can designate an official captain for each game. The player serving as captain during the game wears a "C" on his or her jersey...

 the next season on November 3, 1993, two weeks after recording his first hat trick
Hat Trick
Hat trick, hat-trick or hattrick may refer to:* hat-trick — in various sports, achieving three goals, wickets, etc. in a single match* Hattrick — online football management game** Hattrick Limited — producers of this game...

, against the Philadelphia Flyers
Philadelphia Flyers
The Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...

. Some of his accomplishments from that season include leading the Jets in goals (41), points (81), and power play goals (22). The 1994–95 season, which was shortened by a lockout, saw Tkachuk earn all-star second-team honors, as well as being second on the team in points.

In the 1995–96 season, Tkachuk dominated the Jets' statistics finishing first in goals (50), assists (48), points (98), power play goals (20), game-winning goals (6), shots (249), and plus/minus (+11).

Tkachuk was stripped of the Jets captaincy, at the start of the 1995–96 NHL season (the Winnipeg Jets last season), after a contract dispute. Kris King
Kris King
Kristopher King is a former Canadian NHL hockey player. He played 14 seasons in the NHL for the Detroit Red Wings, New York Rangers, Winnipeg Jets, Phoenix Coyotes, Toronto Maple Leafs, and the Chicago Blackhawks...

 was named the new captain. Tkachuk was restored as captain at the start of the 1996–97 NHL season, when the Jets moved to Phoenix, Arizona, to become the Phoenix Coyotes.

Phoenix Coyotes (1996–2001)

The Jets moved to Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix is the capital, and largest city, of the U.S. state of Arizona, as well as the sixth most populated city in the United States. Phoenix is home to 1,445,632 people according to the official 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data...

, in 1996, where Tkachuk became a member of the new Phoenix Coyotes
Phoenix Coyotes
The Phoenix Coyotes are a professional ice hockey team based in Glendale, Arizona. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . They play their home games at Jobing.com Arena....

. It was with Phoenix during the 1996–97 season that he has his career-best 52 goals, and made his first appearance in the NHL All-Star Game
National Hockey League All-Star Game
The National Hockey League All-Star Game is an exhibition ice hockey game that is traditionally held at the midway point of the regular season of the National Hockey League , with many of the league's star players playing against each other...

. He also led the team in goals, points, power-play goals, game-winning goals, and shots for the 1997–98 season, earning him his second straight All-Star appearance. For the 1998–99 season, Tkachuk led the team in goals, power-play goals, game-winning goals, shots, and plus/minus, and again went to the All-Star game. In 1997, Tkachuk was on the cover of the video game NHL Breakaway '98
NHL Breakaway '98
NHL Breakaway '98 is a 1998 ice hockey game for the Nintendo 64, PlayStation, Sega Saturn and Microsoft Windows. The game also has Rumble Pak support for the Nintendo 64.-Features and gameplay:...

.

After struggling with injuries for the next two seasons, the Coyotes traded Tkachuk to the Blues in 2001 for Ladislav Nagy
Ladislav Nagy
Ladislav Nagy is a Slovak professional hockey player who plays for HC Lev Poprad of the KHL.- Playing career :Nagy, who is of Hungarian descent, was drafted 177th overall in the 1997 NHL Entry Draft by the St. Louis Blues. Nagy had played in the Slovak Extraliga as a junior prior to being drafted...

, Michal Handzus
Michal Handzus
Michal Handzuš is a Slovak professional ice hockey centre currently playing for the San Jose Sharks of the National Hockey League .-Playing career:...

, Jeff Taffe
Jeff Taffe
Jeffrey Charles Taffe is a center for the Minnesota Wild organization. He was acquired by Chicago on July 22, 2010 in exchange for center Marty Reasoner. Taffe was drafted in the first round, 30th overall, by the St...

 and a 1st round selection (Ben Eager
Ben Eager
Benjamin Eager is a Canadian professional ice hockey left winger who currently plays for the Edmonton Oilers of the National Hockey League .-Playing career:...

), where he was re-united with Dallas Drake
Dallas Drake
Dallas James Drake is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey winger in the National Hockey League who last played for the Detroit Red Wings. Previously, Drake played for the Winnipeg Jets/Phoenix Coyotes, and St. Louis Blues...

, who had signed a free agent
Free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....

 deal with the Blues in the summer of 2000. He would leave the team ranking second in all-time goals (323) and first in penalty minutes (1,508) among other records.

St. Louis Blues and brief Atlanta Thrashers stint (2001–2010)

Tkachuk made an immediate impact on the Blues, scoring six goals and eight points in the final 12 games of the 2000–01 season. The Blues made it to the Western Conference final in the playoffs that season, losing to the Colorado Avalanche
Colorado Avalanche
The Colorado Avalanche are a professional ice hockey team based in Denver, Colorado, United States. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The Avalanche have won the Stanley Cup twice, in 1995–96 and 2000–01. The franchise...

, the eventual 2001 Stanley Cup champions. He has experienced several injuries while with the Blues, and was briefly suspended when he reported to training camp overweight and failed his physical at the beginning of the 2005–06 season.

On February 25, 2007, Tkachuk was traded to the Atlanta Thrashers
Atlanta Thrashers
The Atlanta Thrashers were a professional ice hockey team based in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. Atlanta was granted a franchise in the National Hockey League on June 25, 1997, and became the league's 28th franchise when it began play in the 1999–2000 NHL season...

 for Glen Metropolit
Glen Metropolit
Glen Metropolit is a Canadian professional ice hockey centre currently playing for EV Zug in the Swiss National League A.-Early years:...

, a 1st round pick in 2007, a 3rd round pick in 2007 and a 2nd round pick in 2008.

On June 26 of the same year, St. Louis reacquired Tkachuk along with a conditional 4th round draft pick for a conditional first round pick in 2008. If Tkachuk had re-signed with the Thrashers, the Blues would have had Atlanta's 1st round pick in 2008. Since the Blues acquired exclusive negotiating rights with Tkachuk and re-signed him to a two-year deal, Atlanta received a conditional 4th round pick in 2008.
Tkachuk signed a new, two-year contract with the Blues for $8 million on June 30. Upon re-signing, Tkachuk said of the Blues that "I see a lot of good things happening... They're going to be very active in making this a better hockey team." To help prove the Blues would be better, after signing Tkachuk they signed left winger Paul Kariya
Paul Kariya
Paul Tetsuhiko Kariya is a Canadian retired professional ice hockey winger who played 15 seasons in the National Hockey League . Known as a skilled and fast-skating offensive player, he played in the NHL for the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim, Colorado Avalanche, Nashville Predators and St...

. Coach Andy Murray announced that he would try a line where Tkachuk would be centering Kariya on left wing and Brad Boyes
Brad Boyes
Bradley Keith Boyes is a professional ice hockey player currently playing for the Buffalo Sabres of the National Hockey League ....

 on right.

On the last day of the 2007–08 regular season (April 6), Tkachuk scored his 500th NHL Goal, a milestone only three other American-born players have achieved, and the 41st overall in NHL history.

On November 30, 2008, Tkachuk scored goal number 511, giving him 1,000 NHL points for his career. He becomes only the sixth American, and 72nd overall to achieve that milestone. It came in his 1,077th NHL game. He signed a one year contract with the Blues on June 19, 2009. On April 7, 2010, Tkachuk announced that he would be retiring from hockey at the conclusion of the 2009–10 season. He played his final NHL game two nights later on April 9, 2010.

Awards

  • Hockey East
    Hockey East
    Hockey East Association is a NCAA Men's Division I Ice Hockey conference which operates in New England. It participates in the NCAA's Division I as a hockey-only conference....

     All-Rookie Team — 1991
  • NHL Second All-Star Team — 1995, 1998
  • Played in 5 NHL All-Star Games — 1997
    47th National Hockey League All-Star Game
    The 47th National Hockey League All-Star Game took place on January 18, 1997 at the San Jose Arena. The final score was Eastern Conference 11, Western Conference 7. This game was originally scheduled for the 1994-95 season, but was cancelled due to the 1994-95 NHL lockout.-Super Skills...

    , 1998
    48th National Hockey League All-Star Game
    The 48th National Hockey League All-Star Game took place at General Motors Place in Vancouver, British Columbia, home to the Vancouver Canucks, on January 18, 1998.-The International Showdown:...

    , 1999
    49th National Hockey League All-Star Game
    The 49th National Hockey League All-Star Game took place on January 24, 1999, at the Ice Palace in Tampa Bay, Florida, home to the Tampa Bay Lightning.-"North America" and the World:...

    , 2004
    54th National Hockey League All-Star Game
    The 54th National Hockey League All-Star Game took place during the 2003–04 NHL season and was held on February 8, 2004, at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minnesota, official arena of the NHL's Minnesota Wild...

    , 2009
    57th National Hockey League All-Star Game
    The 57th National Hockey League All-Star Game was held at the Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, home of the Montreal Canadiens, in conjunction with the Montreal Canadiens centennial celebrations. The game was held between two teams, each representing a conference of the National Hockey League...

  • NHL Player of the Week — December 6, 1993; April 1, 1994; April 7, 1997

Select milestones

  • 1000 games played — December 1, 2007, against the Chicago Blackhawks
    Chicago Blackhawks
    The Chicago Blackhawks are a professional ice hockey team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . They have won four Stanley Cup championships since their founding in 1926, most recently coming in 2009-10...

  • 700 career points — April 5, 2002, against the Chicago Blackhawks
    Chicago Blackhawks
    The Chicago Blackhawks are a professional ice hockey team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . They have won four Stanley Cup championships since their founding in 1926, most recently coming in 2009-10...

  • 400 career goals — October 12, 2003, against the Colorado Avalanche
    Colorado Avalanche
    The Colorado Avalanche are a professional ice hockey team based in Denver, Colorado, United States. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The Avalanche have won the Stanley Cup twice, in 1995–96 and 2000–01. The franchise...

  • 500 career goals — April 6, 2008, against the Columbus Blue Jackets
    Columbus Blue Jackets
    The Columbus Blue Jackets are a professional ice hockey team based in Columbus, Ohio, United States. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...

  • 1000 career points — November 30, 2008, against the Atlanta Thrashers
    Atlanta Thrashers
    The Atlanta Thrashers were a professional ice hockey team based in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. Atlanta was granted a franchise in the National Hockey League on June 25, 1997, and became the league's 28th franchise when it began play in the 1999–2000 NHL season...


Records

Tkachuk led the NHL in goals during the 1996–97 season with 52, the first American-born player to do so. That season he was also only the fourth player in NHL history to record 50 goals and 200 penalty minutes in a single season.

Other records:
  • Phoenix Coyotes franchise record for career game-winning goals (40)
  • Phoenix Coyotes franchise record for career penalty minutes (1,508)

Regular season and playoffs

    Regular season   Playoffs
Season
Season (sports)
In an organized sports league, a season is the portion of one year in which regulated games of the sport are in session. For example, in Major League Baseball, one season lasts approximately from April 1 through October 1; in Association football, it is generally from August until May In an...

Team League GP G
Goal (ice hockey)
In ice hockey, a goal is scored when the puck completely crosses the goal line between the two goal posts and below the goal crossbar. A goal awards one point to the team attacking the goal scored upon, regardless of which team the player who actually deflected the puck into the goal belongs to...

A
Assist (ice hockey)
In ice hockey, an assist is attributed to up to two players of the scoring team who shot, passed or deflected the puck towards the scoring teammate, or touched it in any other way which enabled the goal, meaning that they were "assisting" in the goal. There can be a maximum of two assists per goal...

Pts
Point (ice hockey)
Point in ice hockey has three official meanings:* A point is awarded to a player for each goal scored or assist earned. The total number of goals plus assists equals total points. In some European leagues, a goal counts as two points, and an assist counts as one...

PIM
Penalty (ice hockey)
A penalty in ice hockey is a punishment for inappropriate behavior. Most penalties are enforced by detaining the offending player within a penalty box for a set number of minutes, during which, the player can not participate in play. The offending team usually may not replace the player on the ice,...

GP G A Pts PIM
1990–91 Boston U. Terriers HE
Hockey East
Hockey East Association is a NCAA Men's Division I Ice Hockey conference which operates in New England. It participates in the NCAA's Division I as a hockey-only conference....

36 17 23 40 70
1991–92 Winnipeg Jets NHL
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...

17 3 5 8 28 7 3 0 3 30
1992–93 Winnipeg Jets NHL 83 28 23 51 201 6 4 0 4 14
1993–94 Winnipeg Jets NHL 84 41 40 81 255
1994–95 Winnipeg Jets NHL 48 22 29 51 152
1995–96 Winnipeg Jets NHL 76 50 48 98 156 6 1 2 3 22
1996–97 Phoenix Coyotes
Phoenix Coyotes
The Phoenix Coyotes are a professional ice hockey team based in Glendale, Arizona. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . They play their home games at Jobing.com Arena....

NHL 81 52 34 86 228 7 6 0 6 7
1997–98 Phoenix Coyotes NHL 69 40 26 66 147 6 3 3 6 10
1998–99 Phoenix Coyotes NHL 68 36 32 68 151 7 1 3 4 13
1999–00 Phoenix Coyotes NHL 50 22 21 43 82 5 1 1 2 4
2000–01 Phoenix Coyotes NHL 64 29 42 71 108
2000–01 St. Louis Blues
St. Louis Blues
The St. Louis Blues are a professional ice hockey team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The team is named after the famous W. C. Handy song "St. Louis Blues", and plays in the 19,150-seat Scottrade...

NHL 12 6 2 8 14 15 2 7 9 20
2001–02 St. Louis Blues NHL 73 38 37 75 117 10 5 5 10 18
2002–03 St. Louis Blues NHL 56 31 24 55 139 7 1 3 4 14
2003–04 St. Louis Blues NHL 75 33 38 71 83 5 0 2 2 10
2005–06 St. Louis Blues NHL 41 15 21 36 46
2006–07 St. Louis Blues NHL 61 20 23 43 92
2006–07 Atlanta Thrashers
Atlanta Thrashers
The Atlanta Thrashers were a professional ice hockey team based in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. Atlanta was granted a franchise in the National Hockey League on June 25, 1997, and became the league's 28th franchise when it began play in the 1999–2000 NHL season...

NHL 18 7 8 15 34 4 1 2 3 12
2007–08 St. Louis Blues NHL 79 27 31 58 69
2008–09
2008–09 NHL season
The 2008–09 NHL season was the 92nd season of operation of the National Hockey League . It was the first season since prior to the 2004–05 lockout in which every team played each other at least once during the season, following three seasons where teams only played against two divisions in the...

St. Louis Blues NHL 79 25 24 49 61 4 0 0 0 2
2009–10
2009–10 NHL season
The 2009–10 NHL season was the 93rd season of operation of the National Hockey League , and the 100th season since the founding of the predecessor National Hockey Association . It ran from October 1, 2009, including four games in Europe on October 2 and 3—until April 11, 2010, with the 2010...

St. Louis Blues NHL 67 13 19 32 56
NHL totals 1,201 538 527 1,065 2,219 89 28 28 56 176

International

Year Team Comp GP G A Pts PIM
1991
1991 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships
The 1991 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships was the 15th edition of the World Junior Ice Hockey Championships and was held in various communities in Saskatchewan, Canada...

United States WJC
World Junior Ice Hockey Championships
The International Ice Hockey Federation World Under 20 Championship is an annual event organized by the International Ice Hockey Federation for national under-20 ice hockey teams from around the world...

7 6 3 9 12
1992
1992 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships
The 1992 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships was the 16th edition of the World Junior Ice Hockey Championships and was held from December 26, 1991 until January 4, 1992. It was held in Füssen and Kaufbeuren, Germany...

United States WJC 7 3 4 7 6
1992
1992 Winter Olympics
The 1992 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XVI Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event celebrated from 8 to 23 February 1992 in Albertville, France. They were the last Winter Olympics to be held the same year as the Summer Olympics, and the first where the Winter Paralympics...

United States OG 8 1 1 2 12
1996
1996 World Cup of Hockey
The first World Cup of Hockey , or 1996 World Cup of Hockey, replaced the Canada Cup as one of the premier championships for professional ice hockey ....

United States WCH
World Cup of Hockey
The World Cup of Hockey is an international ice hockey tournament. Inaugurated in 1996, it is the successor to the previous Canada Cup, which ran from 1976 to 1991...

7 5 1 6 44
1998
1998 Winter Olympics
The 1998 Winter Olympics, officially the XVIII Olympic Winter Games, was a winter multi-sport event celebrated from 7 to 22 February 1998 in Nagano, Japan. Seventy-two nations and 2,176 participans contested in seven sports and 72 events at 15 venues. The games saw the introduction of Women's ice...

United States OG 4 0 2 2 6
2002
2002 Winter Olympics
The 2002 Winter Olympics, officially the XIX Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event that was celebrated in February 2002 in and around Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. Approximately 2,400 athletes from 77 nations participated in 78 events in fifteen disciplines, held throughout...

United States OG 5 2 0 2 2
2004
2004 World Cup of Hockey
The 2004 World Cup of Hockey was an international ice hockey tournament. It was the second installment of the National Hockey League -sanctioned competition eight years after the inaugural 1996 World Cup of Hockey. It was held from August 30 to September 14, 2004, and took place in various venues...

United States WCH 5 5 1 6 23
2006
2006 Winter Olympics
The 2006 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XX Olympic Winter Games, was a winter multi-sport event which was celebrated in Turin, Italy from February 10, 2006, through February 26, 2006. This marked the second time Italy hosted the Olympic Winter Games, the first being the VII Olympic Winter...

United States OG 6 0 0 0 8
Junior int'l totals 14 9 7 16 18
Senior int'l totals 35 13 5 18 85

Personal life

Tkachuk has been married to Chantal Oster, whom he met in Winnipeg since February 28, 1997, and has three children, named Matthew, Braeden, and Taryn. He is still a fan favorite in St. Louis and is an investor in sports talk radio station KFNS (590 AM, St. Louis MO). He is an assistant coach with the St. Louis Blues Peewee AAA hockey team, his son Braeden plays on the team

Tkachuk is Irish
Irish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...

 on his mother's side, and is cousin to NHL player Tom Fitzgerald, whom he grew up with. When asked about the derivation of his surname, Tkachuk was unsure, suggesting it could either be "Polish, Russian, [or] Ukrainian, one of those."

See also


External links

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