Their celebrity status keeps growing: Matthew and Brady Tkachuk are the cover athletes for EA NHL 26. They appear on the Deluxe Edition cover with their father. The newest NHL game features the incorporation of NHL EDGE puck and player tracking data and revamped "Be A Player" mode.

The Tkachuks are also making their mark on TV: After Matthew was a focal point in Season 1, Brady Tkachuk was the first player revealed for Season 2 of "Faceoff: Inside the NHL," the docuseries on Amazon Prime.

"My wife and I are living the dream right now. There's nothing better than seeing your kids do what they love to do best," Keith Tkachuk told ESPN recently.

As much as he's proud of their NHL accomplishments, Tkachuk said it's what people don't see about his sons that means even more to him.

"They carry themselves well off the ice. They do the things that we taught them growing up. They respect the people around the rink. They're always very cordial," he said.

"Now, I can see why people want to punch them in the face on the ice, but they're great kids. They're great role models. They're great brothers. And they're great sons."

Matthew and Brady are the 2026 cover athletes for EA Sports NHL series. Were video games big in the Tkachuk house when they were growing up?

Tkachuk: With Brady more than Matthew. We kept our kids busy a lot, but they would play whatever video games they had when they had time. Now when I go visit Brady in Ottawa, once he puts his son to bed, he's right back downstairs playing video games with his buddies.

And when Matthew was playing in Calgary, I remember getting up to go to the bathroom at 2 in the morning and seeing his door closed with the lights flashing underneath it. The next day I asked him what he was doing and he's said he was playing video games. I'm like, "You gotta get some rest, kid."

They're both still kids, in my mind. It's just phenomenal that they're getting an opportunity to do this cover. They've worked their tails off to get here.

Apparently, you're an EA cover athlete yourself, on their deluxe version of the game.

Tkachuk: Hopefully my ratings are better than Brady's and Matthew's.

You were on the ice with Matthew and with Brady when the Panthers repeated as champions. What was that moment like?

Tkachuk: Two years ago, we were going crazy. I know this is going to sound awful, but it felt like routine this time around. But to be able to celebrate it with Matthew -- and obviously Brady was on the ice and my wife, my daughter, and the whole family -- and see what him and his teammates have gone through over the last three years ... they're just built different down there. They really are.

It was a lot of fun. And the next five days were a lot more fun too. They're so good on the ice, but they're even better off the ice.

As a former player, how impressed are you by how hard the Panthers go after they win?

Tkachuk: You're a little jealous, just because of how close they are as a team. It felt like it went on for weeks.

Florida GM Bill Zito told me multiple times that the swagger, the attitude, the way they carry themselves as a franchise directly comes from their acquisition of Matthew in some way. How much pride do you take in knowing the difference Matthew made for that team?

Tkachuk: You've got to give Bill Zito credit. It took a lot of guts to make it move like that -- and with the ownership allowing that to happen, you got to give them credit too.

But I'm pretty happy for Matthew. He picked Florida. That was his destination, and they were able to get a deal done. Paul Maurice is a phenomenal coach, and him and Matthew almost have that same personality. They all get along. They all have one goal in mind, and that's to win.

Matthew has the two rings. He's been to the final three straight years. Brady finally makes the playoffs with Ottawa last season. It was an interesting year for him with the Senators. What did you make of that moment when their owner spoke out against teams "soft tampering" with Brady and declaring he wasn't going anywhere despite those who feel he might want out?

Tkachuk: I wouldn't believe everything you hear. I think after what happened with Matthew in Calgary, everyone just assumes that's going to happen with Brady [in Ottawa].

But Brady loves it there. Brady has really cemented himself in the community. They're a team on the rise. They got a great bunch of young players. They're core players. The fans and the city itself treat him so well. He wants to be a big part of that moving forward. So I don't think he's going anywhere.

Obviously, Matthew and Brady gave us quite a show at the 4 Nations Face-Off for Team USA. What would it mean to you if they were able to win the first Olympic gold medal in men's hockey for the Americans since 1980 when they play in the 2026 Winter Games?

Tkachuk: It would mean everything. It really would. I mean, just for them to both be named among the first six selected is amazing.

But it's more about them playing together at such a high level, in the most watched thing probably in all the sports, the Winter Olympics. I know they really enjoyed playing together at 4 Nations. I mean, it was something to see. It really was. They had so much fun.

The worst part about the whole thing was when they went to their training camp for the 4 Nations and they iced me out. They knew I had FOMO. I knew it was Matthew. He wouldn't let Brady answer my phone calls. They iced me out for four days until I finally went to Montreal to see them.

I wanted to ask you about the huge change we've seen in college hockey eligibility rules recently. Brady chose Boston University, where you played as well. Matthew chose to play for the London Knights. What are your thoughts on those two paths now that young stars like Gavin McKenna are allowed to go from playing in Canadian juniors to a school like Penn State?

Tkachuk: They're both great paths to get to the NHL. It all depends on the player. Back then, before the new rules, you had to make a choice. Matthew was a late birthday. He wanted to go play for the London Knights for [Dale and Mark] Hunter. To be able to play with Christian Dvorak and Mitch Marner was a huge plus. Matthew wanted that experience of playing an 80-plus-game-schedule, including playoffs, and went out and won a Memorial Cup.

Brady probably wasn't as developed at the time as Matthew was. Brady wanted that college feel -- that ability for him to get stronger and get bigger. It's a lesser schedule, but he felt that was the right path and it was.

Now with the rule changes, I think it's great. Gavin McKenna had phenomenal years at Medicine Hat. He's one of the best players I've seen in a long time. Now he gets to play a schedule where he can rely on getting stronger, getting bigger, playing against older players. I think it's a good opportunity for these kids to have a chance to go play for Boston University or Michigan State or Penn State, wherever they go. You've got to do what's best for you. And the NIL money's crazy.

You would have been OK with an extra $700,000 in your pocket back in your NCAA days?

Tkachuk: I would have settled for a few bucks a week.

After playing at Boston University in 1990-91, you embarked on a career that many people believe should be honored by the Hockey Hall of Fame. There have been 48 NHL players to score 500 goals, and you're one of only four retired ones not to be inducted yet. What does it mean to you when you see fans, media, hockey people, whomever, rally to the cause and say that Keith Tkachuk should be in the Hall of Fame?

Tkachuk: I mean, there's nothing I can do. I appreciate the support. I really do. If it happens, great. If it doesn't, life goes on. But my kids are my Hall of Fame. I enjoy watching them. I work for the Blues, but I also get to see my kids play and see them grow up.

It was an honor to play in the NHL. The game has changed my life. If it happens, I know my mother will be extremely happy. I think she's one who takes it the hardest.

We've got to get her in front of the selection committee. Speaking of family: Do you feel that the accomplishments for Matthew and Brady have perhaps raised your own profile when it comes to the Hall of Fame? Do you think the fact that people talk about you when they talk about them might help your chances for induction?

Tkachuk: Well, it certainly doesn't hurt them. Life goes on when you're retired, whether you had a great career, an average career or whatever. I think the success of the boys -- with the 4 Nations, and obviously Matthew doing well and Brady playing in the Canadian market -- it definitely gives you a little extra boost.

But I don't look at it that way. I just look at it as I'm their dad. I love watching my kids play. I just wanted to be around them. And this has been a heck of a ride, though.

You guys became USA Hockey legends after the 4 Nations Face-Off, if you weren't already. Obviously, the tournament did not end the way Americans wanted. Is winning Olympic gold in the 2026 Winter Games in Italy the ultimate revenge on our friends in Canada?

MATTHEW TKACHUK: I don't even know if you look at it as revenge, but it's been a long time coming since USA Hockey's been at the top of the mountain. Canada's owned the Olympics or World Cups or even the world championships, although we got that back a little bit this year. They've been the leader in all of that and the team that we've all been trying to knock off.

I don't think it'd be as much as revenge than showing how far along USA Hockey has come. We've had some incredible players and national teams that we've looked up to our whole lives but that haven't gotten the job done. So, not only would winning [gold] accomplish dreams for us, but hopefully it would bring a lot of satisfaction for those guys that paved the way for us.

Brady, you play in a Canadian city while trying to win Olympic gold for the Americans. What's that dynamic like?

BRADY TKACHUK: Learning from experience, it's a little bit of a different position to be in. All the people that support you on a day-to-day basis, now they don't want you to win.

Your dream as kids is winning the Stanley Cup and winning a gold medal for your country. I know that's always been our two main goals. But we got into hockey, and a lot of people got into hockey, from the 1980 Miracle on Ice. And now, we have an opportunity to pave the way for the next generation of kids in the U.S. that maybe wouldn't be playing hockey if they didn't get to experience USA Hockey in the Winter Olympics and potential gold medals.

There's not just playing for ourselves in that locker room with that group, but you're really playing for your country and you're playing for the next generation of kids. And like Matthew said, you're playing for the guys that have paved the way, that are to be so supportive and fired up to be watching.

You guys are NHL 26 cover athletes, along with your dad. We spoke to Keith recently, who reminisced about seeing the glow of a video game screen under the doors of your bedrooms, whether it was when you were younger or in Matt's case, when he was playing in Calgary. What's your brief history of playing video games together?

MATTHEW TKACHUK: Yeah, we would play. I think during COVID was probably the last time I religiously played, and that was when we were all under one roof before I had my house in St. Louis. Brady and I played a lot. NHL is definitely one of them. I think Brady has played more throughout his life than I have, and that was one of the things that he was much better at than I am. So, I didn't really play too much against him.

We played the game like how you'd probably expect us to play: Turn off all the penalties, make all the guys really big and fast. It was like prison rules NHL. So, it was a lot of fun.

BRADY TKACHUK: I honestly feel like we had a pretty religious routine. Right after school, if it was a nice day, out for roller hockey then dinner and then we were playing NHL. We try to sneak in a best-of-seven if it was early enough, but it was a lot of fun. Either we played together or most of the time, we're playing together against each other and it was a ton of fun.

Now that you're in the NHL, what is the level of interest or concern among the boys when it comes to their EA Sports ratings? Do they still care?

MATTHEW TKACHUK: We don't talk about it too much. I know that there's one day, maybe it might be at the beginning of the year, which I guess is coming up here soon, where you go over your rating or you guess another player's rating. I think where they get pissed off is when you guess their rating and it's way lower than their actual rating is.

You've got to be careful with who the sensitive guys are on the team because you don't want that to actually affect them -- and you never know if it might. Hockey players are proud athletes. You want to have a decent rating.

BRADY TKACHUK: I'm probably one of the guys that will just play a game as the Sens to see where my rating is at, to see how good my guy is. This version is exciting because it's more individual-based. You can see within the game how I am in real life, and that's really cool and unique.

These ratings are always fun. And to be honest with you, I don't know what the rating is going into this year's game. I know they give a midyear bump and that's the goal: That hopefully I get a midyear bump because that means I'm playing well.

Matthew, your name was recently listed by the White House as being part of the President's Council on Sports, Fitness, and Nutrition, joining names like Wayne Gretzky and Mariano Rivera. How did you get involved in that?

MATTHEW TKACHUK: I'm not actually allowed to comment on that until it's official yet. So, I have to wait on that a little bit. But I promise in a few weeks, if that comes true, I'll answer that for you.

Let's talk about something that did come true: The Florida Panthers somehow hanging on to Sam Bennett, Aaron Ekblad and Brad Marchand as free agents. How shocked were you that GM Bill Zito was able to pull that off?

MATTHEW TKACHUK: I don't know if I was shocked. I think at the time, as a player and more importantly as a friend, you're more worried that one of your buddies is going to go elsewhere. At the end of the day, you want your teammates and your best buddies to be happy with whatever decision they make. So, if that's chasing a ton of money or if that's going to where they want to play, you just got to be happy for them.

The best part about those three is they all believe in what we're doing in Florida. They want to live in Florida, they want to play on a good team, and they want to have a great group of players surrounding them.

Out of all of them, I was most confident in [Ekblad] staying the most. Just because he's been a lifelong Florida Panther. I just think it was going to be impossible for him to leave. And then the other guys ... I mean, this was a chance for them to cash in. You just didn't know if it was going to be with us or not.

I was surprised, though, that they were all able to stay. I thought that with the way the money was tied up, you didn't know if it was going to be possible -- and somehow it was. Everybody was taken care of so well.

Bill did a great job of making sure it could happen. You want your best buddies to be rewarded with how great they played and how great they've been up to this point. I think they all got rewarded very well, and I'm just so excited to have a chance to hopefully run it back with them this year.

When did you know about Marchand? Was it when he was smoking cigars on the back of a golf cart outside of the Elbo Room? At some point, were you just convinced the guy liked it down there vs. leaving as a free agent?

MATTHEW TKACHUK: Marchand, when he first got traded, I would've thought there was never a chance that we're going to be able to keep everybody. As time goes on and you have success and you get to know guys and you get to know what their wants and desires are with the rest of their career -- or where they want to live -- you can start connecting the dots. People just don't want to leave Florida when they come. I think that that is the case with them and everybody that's been there.

The only time you're going to see guys leave is if it's such a crazy difference with money. Some of these guys that we've had the last few years have really cashed in with other teams, which we're so happy to see. I think that's really the only way you're going to see guys go elsewhere.

We have too good of a thing going right now, and everybody wants to be a part of it.

Brady, your dad threw cold water on all the speculation about you leaving Ottawa when we spoke recently. How much did making the playoffs, showing the progress of the Senators, give you a sense of relief that maybe some of that speculation might go by the wayside now?

BRADY TKACHUK: Yeah, I think we really needed to make the playoffs to show everybody that we're a team that's capable of that, but also capable of doing more than just making the playoffs.

The last couple of years, it was kind of stagnant. We had high expectations and we didn't quite accomplish what we needed to. And with that came doubt. But I think it showed with the steps that we took last year that we have a great hockey team. I think that we're kind of just getting started with what we want to accomplish. Playoffs are great to get to, but that's not our end goal. The sky's the limit for our group.

I think [that success] helped with all the speculation. When things aren't going well, people are always assuming or trying to think in my shoes. But I was kind of never really in that thought process. It was all about sticking it out. It's been a long time coming, for not just our team but the city, to get into the playoffs. And I think it was really important to me to end that drought.

Through all that adversity that we faced with being the bottom five teams to finally get to the playoffs was an amazing feeling. But now that we got there, I think everybody wants a little bit more and wants to accomplish all of our childhood dreams.

Obviously, the season is getting closer. Brady, we saw you were training with Trevor Zegras this summer. What are your thoughts about him getting a fresh start in Philadelphia with the Flyers?

BRADY TKACHUK: Yeah, I drove up to Connecticut and skated with him. I've known 'Z' throughout the years but got to know him pretty well when we played world championships together. He's a great guy, and I think it's going to be great for him to get a fresh start in Philly and under Rick Tocchet. They have a great culture there, and I think he's just going to do a good job of fitting in.

I've always thought playing against Philly that they play super hard, but they have a lot of great players with skill. So, I think that is going to be the best thing for him. I'm excited to see his progression this year and see how the change affects him. I bet that's going to be for the good.

Matthew, you were dealing with some significant injuries by the end of last season and said it was "50/50" regarding offseason surgery. What's your path for the next few months? Are you still hoping to maybe hit the ice in October?

MATTHEW TKACHUK: I'm still hoping to hit the ice as soon as possible. If I do get the surgery, it definitely will be the first two, maybe three months [of the season] if that's the case. But it's still undecided at this point.

Finally, the NHL and NHLPA have signed off on a new collective bargaining agreement. We haven't heard from many players about this deal. What did you like? What did you wish was in it that didn't make the cut?

BRADY TKACHUK: I think Marty [Walsh], Ron Hainsey and the NHLPA did a really good job. A lot of it came behind the scenes with the NHL. They kept it discreet.

I think it's important that we did a four-year deal and to navigate where our league is in four years' time. Obviously, there's things that will probably trend and want maybe more of in four years' time. But I think the changes that they made are exciting. The 84-game schedule [means] more hockey for people to come and watch. I think it's going to be good.

Less preseason crap, too.

MATTHEW TKACHUK: Took the words right out of my mouth.

That's the one main thing I like. I've never liked the preseason setup. I mean, guys do a great job of coming into [camp] in shape. There are the captain's skates before the preseason because everyone wants to get back and see the boys. So, I think preseason has been overrated. It's way too long, and the games are way too much. However they were able to shorten that, I was on board with that for sure.

Just get into the season. Just get on with it.

Matthew Tkachuk returns to Edmonton as Public Enemy No. 1

Tkachuk spent the first six seasons of this NHL career with the Calgary Flames, combating in the Battle of Alberta, the decades-spanning rivalry in which the Flames and the Edmonton Oilers would bludgeon each other to the delight of neighboring fan bases. It's a feud that stands next to any geographic rivalry in sports based on its championship prestige, Hall of Fame talent and unwavering vitriol.

Tkachuk remembers those rivalry games well.

"I guess I know them more than probably most guys by playing in Calgary," Tkachuk said. "But we just had the one playoff series against them that they won, and played a bunch in the regular season. There's a lot of different guys over there now."

Calgary traded Tkachuk to the Panthers two years ago. He has returned to Edmonton twice since.

"I know last year I was booed every time I touched the puck. This year there was nothing, so I have no idea this time," he said.

How close did Tkachuk come to becoming an Oiler? Four years ago, he told TSN Radio that they appeared ready to draft him before Dubois went to Columbus.

"During the draft, on the draft floor, it was kind of a weird moment where some people at the Edmonton table -- you could ask them, they would probably deny it -- but they're kind of staring me down and kind of giving me some smiles. The only people that saw it were me and my mom. So we're like, 'All right, we're going to Edmonton,'" he said. "Then Pierre-Luc Dubois went third overall, and the phone started to ring like crazy at the Edmonton table. They threw the jersey under the table and it looked like they stripped off a name and gave it to Puljujarvi with the next pick."

Tkachuk was drafted sixth overall by the Flames. The rest is (alternate) history.

TKACHUK SAID HE HAD "kind of like a Christmas Eve feeling" before the Stanley Cup Final, giddy with anticipation for trying to win the Cup after the Panthers lost in the championship round last season to the Vegas Golden Knights.

When asked about the Oilers, there was no trash talk, no bulletin board material.

"They're a great team. Finally got to watch some of their games against Dallas, since we were playing every other night. It was good to watch their games," he said. "They played really well and ultimately deserved to win the West. It should make for a great final."

After Florida went up 2-0 in the series with its Game 2 victory, Tkachuk was asked if the Oilers were rattled.

Again, he deferred.

"No, I don't think so. It's just sometimes the way it goes," he said, before leaving the media scrum.

The story of Matthew Tkachuk vs. the Edmonton Oilers is also a story of a young, brash superstar at the apex of his brashness who says he's a much different player today. Tkachuk speaks with pride about what he perceives to be the Panthers' maturity as a team and his own discipline on the ice, in contrast with how he'd played in the Battle of Alberta, for example.

"I'd say that used to be a part of my game. Now it's pretty nonexistent," he said. "I've kind of learned what works, and what works is playing as hard as I can for 30 to 45 seconds -- well, sometimes I take the long shift, so 30 seconds to a minute. There's no need to waste your time doing extra stuff."

Panthers coach Paul Maurice has cited the 26-year-old Tkachuk's maturity throughout the season, starting with how he approached this campaign after Florida's stunning run to the Stanley Cup Final last season.

Maurice said Tkachuk was part of the leadership group that got the Panthers locked in to their defensive game this season, which was a byproduct of missing Aaron Ekblad and Brandon Montour at the start of 2023-24 after surgeries. He said Tkachuk's attitude from the start of training camp help set the efficient, business-like tone of Florida's approach.

"Last year, I think we were just kind of riding the wave," Tkachuk said before the conference finals. "Going into this, we know what it's going to take to ultimately come out on top."

Tkachuk is tied with Aleksander Barkov with 19 points to lead all Panthers scorers. He hasn't had the soaring moments as regularly as he did last playoff run.

But Maurice is confident that Tkachuk is still capable of them.

"His game is better. He's more disciplined. He's matured with this group over two years. I think he's ... primed," the coach said. "I would never bet against him coming up with some heroics, but it's certainly not the only thing we have to expect now when we come to the rink from him."

Barkov

Maurice

And Matthew himself