| Matthew Tkachuk | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | December 11, 1997 Scottsdale, Arizona |
| Height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) |
| Weight | 200 lb (91 kg; 14 st 4 lb) |
| Position | Left Wing |
| Shoots | Left |
| NHL team Former teams |
Florida Panthers Calgary Flames |
| NHL Draft | 6th overall, 2016 Calgary Flames |
| Playing career | 2015-–present |
Matthew Tkachuk (born on December 11, 1997) is an American ice hockey player who is currently playing with the Florida Panthers in the National Hockey League (NHL).
He was drafted by the Calgary Flames in the first round (6th overall) of the 2016 NHL Entry Draft.
Playing Career[]
Major Junior Career[]
On May 8, 2015, Matthew gave up his NCAA eligibility when he signed with the London Knights of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) who had drafted him in the 4th round of the 2013 OHL Priority Selection.
Playing on a line with Mitch Marner and Christian Dvorak, he scored 107 points placing him 5th in OHL scoring.
Leading up to the NHL draft, Matthew was ranked the No. 2 North American skater, described as a bona-fide future star for an NHL club that brings elite skills and attributes.
Career Statistics[]
Regular season and playoffs[]
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 2013–14 | U.S. National Development Team | USHL | 33 | 5 | 12 | 17 | 18 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2014–15 | U.S. National Development Team | USHL | 24 | 13 | 20 | 33 | 75 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2015–16 | London Knights | OHL | 57 | 30 | 77 | 107 | 80 | 18 | 20 | 20 | 40 | 42 | ||
| OHL totals | 57 | 30 | 77 | 107 | 80 | 18 | 20 | 20 | 40 | 42 | ||||
International[]
| Year | Team | Event | Result | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | United States | U17 | Template:Goca | 6 | 4 | 3 | 7 | 2 | |
| 2015 | United States | WJC18 | Template:Goca | 7 | 2 | 10 | 12 | 4 | |
| 2016 | United States | WJC | Template:Brca | 7 | 4 | 7 | 11 | 6 | |
| Junior totals | 20 | 10 | 20 | 30 | 12 | ||||
International Play[]
| Medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
| Competitor for Template:Ihj | ||
| Men's ice hockey | ||
| IIHF World U18 Championship | ||
| Gold | 2015 Switzerland | |
| IIHF World U20 Championship | ||
| Bronze | 2016 Finland | |
Matthew helped Team USA win gold at the 2014 World U-17 Hockey Challenge held in Nova Scotia, Canada.
He also competed at the 2015 IIHF World U18 Championships where in seven games he registered 10 assists (tops in the tournament), leading the United States men's national under-18 ice hockey team to a gold medal win.
At the 2016 IIHF World Junior Championships held in Helsinki, Matthew and Auston Matthews each scored 11 points to lead the American team in scoring. After losing in the semifinals, the American team beat Sweden to claim the bronze medal.
Accolades[]
| Award | Year |
|---|---|
| World U-17 Hockey Challenge Gold Medal | 2014 |
| IIHF World U18 Championship Gold Medal | 2015 |
Personal Life[]
Matthew's father, Keith Tkachuk played 1,201 games in the National Hockey League and is a member of the United States Hockey Hall of Fame. His younger brother, Brady Tkachuk, plays with the National Team Development Program.
Matthew was born in Scottsdale during his father's stint with the Phoenix Coyotes and grew up in the St. Louis suburb of Chesterfield, Missouri.
He is second cousins to former NHL player Tom Fitzgerald, who grew up with his father. His father has suggested that his family background and name is either "Polish, Russian, [or] Ukrainian."
Keith is also of Canadian descent as his mother Chantal is a native of Winnipeg due to his father's stint with the Winnipeg Jets.