Team USA’s Matthew and Brady Tkachuk Family Guide

Team USA hockey stars Matthew and Brady Tkachuk are modern-day Bash Brothers who have helped turn the perception of American hockey on its head. 

Matthew, a forward with the Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers, and younger sibling Brady, the captain of the Ottawa Senators, had never played together on the same team — outside of the 2023 NHL All-Star Game — before representing their home country in the inaugural 4 Nations Face-Off in February 2025.

“We talked about this moment, playing together, forever,” Matthew told NHL.com before the tournament, a best-on-best event between the USA, Canada, Sweden and Finland. “And now that it’s finally happening, it’s just been amazing and we’re super grateful for it. We’re just having so much fun.”

Matthew and Brady come from a hockey family, in the truest sense of the phrase. The duo were both born in Scottsdale, Arizona, while their father, Keith, played for the NHL’s Phoenix Coyotes. 

The brothers cut their hockey teeth in St. Louis after their dad was traded to the Blues in 2001, with Matthew and Brady taking unique journeys to the NHL.

Keep scrolling for a deep dive into the lore of the Tkachuk family — including their mother, Chantal Tkachuk, and their field hockey star sister, Taryn: 

Matthew Tkachuk

Matthew was only 3 years old when his father, Keith, was traded to the St. Louis Blues. As such, he spent many of his most formative childhood years in hockey arenas. 

“When you say you grew up in a rink people think, ‘Oh, yeah, your dad played but you didn’t really grow up there,’” Matthew told The Athletic in 2019. “No, I literally grew up in the rink. Even in St. Louis, I think my dad pulled me out of school certain days so I could go to the rink.”

He added, “Looking back, I’m so grateful I got to do that. There is a reason I have wanted to play in the NHL since a young age. I was there so much and I loved the lifestyle, the passion, everything these guys showed me and the relationships I built.”

Matthew completed 6th through 9th grades at Chaminade Preparatory School — where he was classmates with Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum — before joining the USA Hockey National Development Program. 

After one season with the London Knights of the Ontario Hockey League, Matthew was drafted 6th overall in the 2016 NHL Draft by the Calgary Flames. 

Matthew played six seasons with the Flames before being traded to the Florida Panthers in July 2022, where he would win a Stanley Cup in 2024 when Florida defeated the Edmonton Oilers in Game 7 of the Finals. 

His parents — Keith and Chantal — were both on hand for the moment, with Keith shown on TV crying at his son’s accomplishment. Despite a legendary 18-year career in the NHL, Keith never won a Stanley Cup. 

Matthew got engaged to his fiancée, Ellie Connell, in April 2024. The couple prefers to keep their relationship mostly private. 

Brady Tkachuk

Similar to his older brother, Brady spent most of his childhood around the game of hockey. 

Brady also followed in the footsteps of Matthew and played two seasons with the USA Hockey National Development Program, but their paths diverted when Brady decided to explore collegiate hockey. 

In 2017-2018, Brady spent one season with Boston University, appearing in 40 games and scoring 31 points. He was drafted 4th overall by the Ottawa Senators in the 2018 NHL Draft. Brady was named the 10th captain in franchise history in November 2021. 

Brady also captained Team USA in the 2024 IIHF World Championship, where they were eliminated in the quarterfinals. 

Off the ice, Brady married his wife, Emma Farinacci, in July 2023. In September 2024, the couple welcomed their son, Ryder. 

“Our whole world ❤️,” Farinacci wrote via Instagram announcing their son’s birth. 

Matthew left two enthusiastic comments on the post, writing, “Ryder!! Little legend!!!” and “Love him!!!!”

Keith Tkachuk

One of the greatest American hockey players of all-time, Matthew and Brady’s father, Keith, grew up in Medford, Massachusetts and completed one season of collegiate hockey at Boston University, where Brady would later play. 

Keith was drafted 19th overall in 1990 by the Winnipeg Jets and had an 18-year career in the NHL with the Jets, Phoenix Coyotes, St. Louis Blues and Atlanta Thrashers. 

When his sons were little, Keith recalled relying on Coyotes equipment manager, Stan Wilson, for help when Matthew and Brady got dropped off at the arena. 

“They terrorized the place when they were able to,” Keith told The Athletic in 2019. “And they made more of a mess for Stan and the other guys, but you know Stan. You really have to work hard to piss him off.”

After Matthew won the Stanley Cup with the Panthers in 2024, Keith had no problem admitting he was overcome with emotions in the crowd. 

“I was up in the stands crying,” Keith told NHL.com. “Who wouldn’t? That’s my son down there. He just won the Stanley Cup.”

Keith added, “I’m so proud of that kid.”

Chantal Tkachuk

Keith married his wife — and Matthew and Brady’s mom — Chantal in February 1997 when he was playing for the St. Louis Blues. During that time, he credited Chantal for much of his success. 

“I wouldn’t be the player that I am if it hadn’t been for her, I’ll tell you that much,” Keith told The Hockey News shortly after their wedding. “You focus more on hockey when you have someone at home, when you’re taking care of yourself and she’s taking care of you.”

After Matthew and Brady were born, Chantal recalled using her husband’s ice rink workplace as a means of child care. 

“Right from the get-go, I would drop them off in their pumpkin seats when they were little babies,” she told The Athletic in 2019. “I remember sending Matthew along with Brady in a pumpkin seat. I remember Matthew going in as a baby, too. I would go to the side door of the rink, knock on the door, somebody would open the door, I dumped off the diaper bag, dropped off the package and I would run — fast.”

While Keith was in the spotlight, it was Chantal running the show back home that her kids have grown to appreciate even more in retrospect. 

“It’s easy to credit him because he had a great career, but I think behind the scenes, it’s my mom,” Brady told The Athletic in 2018. “She was there when my dad was on the road trips. She was always there and so dedicated.”

Taryn Tkachuk

Matthew and Brady’s younger sister, Taryn, is an accomplished athlete in her own right. 

Taryn recently completed her senior season as a field hockey star at the University of Virginia. Her parents, Keith and Chantal, were both on hand to celebrate senior weekend in October 2024, which Taryn showed off via Instagram.

She was, of course, on hand to help celebrate her brother Matthew winning the Stanley Cup in June 2024, watching Game 7 from the crowd with her parents. 

In July 2024, Taryn posted a carousel of photos via Instagram from Matthew’s time with the Cup, which included a poolside gathering and a trip to the Anheuser-Busch Brewery in St. Louis. ‘

Chantal wrote, “Cheers! Now time to sleep💤💤.”