Tkachuk brothers ready to continue sibling rivalry in NHL

WASHINGTON -- The NHL should consider itself on notice -- another feisty member of the Tkachuk family is headed for the League.
Brady Tkachuk, 18, is No. 2 in NHL Central Scouting's final ranking of North American skaters for the 2018 NHL Draft, to be held at American Airlines Center in Dallas on June 22-23.

RELATED: [Dahlin, Svechnikov, Tkachuk, Zadina top NHL.com mock drafts | Complete NHL Draft coverage]
The St. Louis native is the son of former NHL forward and United States Hockey Hall of Fame member Keith Tkachuk, and the younger brother of Calgary Flames forward Matthew Tkachuk, 20.
In NHL.com's
most recent mock drafts
, staff writers Adam Kimelman, Mike G. Morreale and Guillaume Lepage agree Brady will be selected by the Montreal Canadiens with the No. 3 pick.

Brady and some other top prospects met players from the Washington Capitals and the Vegas Golden Knights prior to Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final at Capital One Arena on Monday (8 p.m. ET; NBC, CBC, SN, TVAS). He said he and his brother are similar when it comes to bothering opponents.
They even trade notes.
"We see what works and what doesn't work," Brady said. "We definitely tell each other. When you're agitating people and they're rattled, you're definitely doing your job. Both Matthew and I pride ourselves on that."
They'll likely have the chance to start agitating each other in the NHL as soon as next season. Not that their games at the highest level would be any different from what they did growing up.
"I wouldn't say he's a pest around the house but he's an aggravator," Brady said of Matthew. "That's what our extended family calls him. Obviously he's a great guy and we're really close and I kind of love seeing it because I'd love to do the same too."
Brady said they've always been competitive with each other.
"We were always competing in anything we were doing, playing roller hockey outside, mini-sticks," he said. "We still play basketball. A couple weeks ago on Mother's Day we were playing 1-on-1 and it got pretty physical. No fights, so that was good.
"We always compete. We always try to win at whatever we do."

It has boiled over on occasion in the past, including a couple of times at Scottrade Center in St. Louis when Keith was playing in the NHL.
"There was a bunch of fights and a bunch of witnesses to those," Brady said. "We were in the locker room for those, and in the wives' room, when my dad was playing. We weren't afraid to fight but we were always playing five minutes after that.
"I got hit from behind once and I think we fought after that. You just take it and fight about it."
At 6-foot-3, 196 pounds, Brady is an inch taller than Matthew (6-2, 202). He doesn't believe he'll be intimidated in any confrontation and said he isn't worried about any reputation preceding his NHL debut.
"I think my family thinks I'm tougher than him and Matthew's not messing with me anymore," Brady said. "If that's a mark, I'll have to deal with it and I'll try to find my game."
Whenever that first NHL game between the brothers takes place, Brady said he thinks he knows what it will look like.
"I don't think it's going to be much different (from growing up)," he said. "I think it's going to be pretty physical. I don't think we're going to take it easy on one another.
"Probably a lot of talking. We're probably going to be chirping back and forth."

The next step on the road to such a game is the draft in Dallas, where the Tkachuk family has purchased 95 tickets to watch the first-round selections June 22.
"It's a whole section," Brady said. "We'll have a big crew there."
All anticipating the next round of Tkachuk vs. Tkachuk, no doubt.