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BRADY TKACHUK'S 3 KEYS TO DEVELOPMENT HAVE FUN… WITH FRIENDS "I genuinely love my team- mates on every team I've ever had. I'm lucky because I have Matthew who is a built-in teammate, competition and friend. But really, I wanted to play hockey and really every sport, just to hang out with my buddies. When you put it into perspective at the youth level, you got to remember that. You're playing a game with your friends. Nothing else matters more than that. Sure, you're learning some skills and of course you're learning some pretty big life lessons when it comes to competing, working hard and all that, which is import- ant, too. But if you're not there, at the bot- tom of it all, having fun with your friends, you're doing it wrong. You're going to battle, to win, with your buddies. You're working together for that end goal—a championship, a win or whatever it is. You're picking each other up when things aren't going your way. And you're developing lifelong friendships in the process of it all. That's the best." HAVE FUN…PLAYING MULTIPLE SPORTS "We were never kids who played hockey year-round. Our entire family has just always been a big proponent and big believ- ers of not playing a single sport year-round. That kind of grew our love for that game. Taking that break and hanging with your new set of friends playing baseball, lacrosse or even just having fun in the summer. We had a basketball hoop in our kitchen that we played on a lot—a lot of finger-pointing when things got broke when playing that one. There was basketball outside, too. Football, trampolines, stuff like that. Just staying active and having fun. I really think being a multi-sport athlete kind of helps you out in a single sport—whatever that sport is that you end up playing. Plus, if you take a break, the heart always grows fonder. You can always keep working on skills for whichever sport is your favorite, but there really is no reason to do just that all the time. And, hey, we still shot pucks every single day. HAVE FUN… IN UNSTRUCTURED WAYS "We were very fortunate to be able to go to the rink with our dad [19-year NHLer Keith Tkachuk] and just fool around before practices and before the big boys came out there. We'd help with pre-practice drills, and we were just lucky to have free play like that. We got to get out there, run around and just get creative, try new things with each other and the pros. Sharing those memories was very special "Plus, brothers in general compete. He was the older brother. And what I appreci- ate so much, looking back, is how he never took it easy on me. There's a lot of losses I had, and it was just very tough to compete against him. And it made me realize how much I hated losing. We both do. And I had a physical disadvantage to him too. But there was once in a blue moon where I'd win—and then there was probably a fight after—but it helped me keep that push back and never quit. I had to get creative to beat him. I was also a better video game guy than him, so I had that on him anyway." 1 2 3 CHECK OUT THE FULL VERSION OF THIS STORY FROM THE LATE JESSI PIERCE AT USAHOCKEY.COM. OCTOBER 2026 USAHOCKEYMAGAZINE.COM // 29 Brady and Matthew Tkachuk are teaming up for the first time in the NHL as members of the Florida Panthers this season. USAHockey.com WATCH: Brady Tkachuk Mic'd Up for First Day with Panthers