Keith Tkachuk spent more than 15 years after hanging up his skates waiting for the Hockey Hall of Fame to come calling — and when the moment finally arrived, his family had even more reason to raise a glass.
The announcement of Tkachuk’s election to the Hall of Fame came on Monday, barely a day after his two sons found themselves on the same NHL roster. Brady Tkachuk was dealt from Ottawa to Florida, where he now plays alongside his older brother Matthew.
Known by the nickname “Walt,” Tkachuk is joining a Hall of Fame class that features center Patrice Bergeron, a six-time Selke Trophy winner who captured the Stanley Cup with Boston in 2011, along with goalies Carey Price from Montreal and Pekka Rinne from Nashville.
Also set to be inducted at the November 9 ceremony in Toronto are U.S. women’s hockey trailblazer Cindy Curley and hockey executive Brian Burke.
Tkachuk was widely considered one of the most dominant power forwards of his generation, competing throughout the 1990s and 2000s as part of the first wave of elite American-born NHL players. Across his career with Winnipeg, Phoenix, St. Louis, and Atlanta, he tallied 1,121 points in 1,290 games including playoff action, and was a member of the U.S. squad that claimed the 1996 World Cup of Hockey.
“I was blessed to play in the greatest sports league in the world,” Tkachuk said. “Through good times and bad times, it was always the best experience imaginable.”
Bergeron, who played his entire career in Boston, earned his spot in the first year he was eligible. Price and Rinne were selected in their second year of eligibility, while Henrik Zetterberg and Rod Brind’Amour were once again passed over.
Price and Bergeron were both part of Canada’s gold medal-winning team at the 2014 Winter Olympics. Bergeron also won gold at the 2010 Games.
Curley made history by competing in the very first IIHF Women’s World Championship in 1990, where she set single-tournament records that still stand — 11 goals, 12 assists, and 23 points across five games.
Burke earned a Stanley Cup ring as general manager of Anaheim in 2007 and has held numerous front-office roles throughout his career, including serving as the NHL’s director of hockey operations. He has also been a prominent advocate for the women’s game and played a leading role in hockey’s Pride initiatives, including a tenure as executive director of the Professional Women’s Hockey League Players Association.
