Tkachuk was one of the NHL's top power forwards during his 18 seasons in the League, as well as one of its best U.S.-born players.
Selected by the Winnipeg Jets with the No. 19 pick in the 1990 NHL Draft, the native of Melrose, Massachusetts, played at Boston University in 1990-91 and with the United States in the 1992 Albertville Olympics before making his NHL debut with the Jets on Feb. 28, 1992, earning an assist against the Vancouver Canucks. He scored his first NHL goal against the Minnesota North Stars nine days later.
Tkachuk was one of the NHL's top power forwards during his 18 seasons in the League, as well as one of its best U.S.-born players.
Selected by the Winnipeg Jets with the No. 19 pick in the 1990 NHL Draft, the native of Melrose, Massachusetts, played at Boston University in 1990-91 and with the United States in the 1992 Albertville Olympics before making his NHL debut with the Jets on Feb. 28, 1992, earning an assist against the Vancouver Canucks. He scored his first NHL goal against the Minnesota North Stars nine days later.
Tkachuk would score 28 goals as a rookie in 1992-93, then was named captain of the Jets on Nov. 3, 1993. That season he broke out 41 goals and 81 points, and during the lockout-shortened season in 1994-95, he was named an NHL Second-Team All-Star after getting 51 points (22 goals, 29 assists) in 48 games.
Tkachuk followed that with 50 goals and an NHL career-high 98 points in 1995-96, when he also helped the United States win the World Cup of Hockey.
The Jets moved to Phoenix prior to the 1996-97 season, but the move didn't affect Tkachuk's scoring touch; he led the NHL with 52 goals, then scored 40 in 1997-98, when he was again named a Second-Team All-Star.
Tkachuk continued to be productive during the next three seasons despite battling injuries, but the Coyotes traded him on March 13, 2001, to the St. Louis Blues, where he would spend the remainder of his NHL career -- except for an 18-game stint with the Atlanta Thrashers in 2006-07.
Though Tkachuk was no longer a 50-goal scorer, he still knew his way around the net. After scoring six goals in 12 games with the Blues and helping them advance to the 2001 Western Conference Final, Tkachuk scored at least 31 goals in each of the following three seasons with St. Louis. But he again struggled with injuries and inconsistency in 2005-06 and 2006-07, and he was traded to the Thrashers on Feb. 25, 2007.
After helping the Thrashers make the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the only time in their history with 15 points (seven goals, eight assists) in 18 games, Tkachuk was reacquired by the Blues on June 26, 2007.
In his final three seasons, Tkachuk would score his 500th NHL goal (against the Columbus Blue Jackets on April 6, 2008) and record his 1,000th point (a goal against the Atlanta Thrashers on Nov. 30, 2008) before announcing his retirement on April 13, 2010.
Tkachuk finished with 1,065 points (538 goals, 527 assists) in 1,201 regular-season games, and 56 points (28 goals, 28 assists) in 89 playoff games. He was inducted into the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame in 2011.
His sons Matthew and Brady were each selected in the first round of the NHL Draft. Matthew was selected No. 6 by the Calgary Flames in 2016 NHL Draft, and Brady was selected No. 4 by the Ottawa Senators in the 2018 NHL Draft.
NOTES & TRANSACTIONS
- NHL Second All-Star Team (1995, 1998)
- Played in NHL All-Star Game (1997, 1998, 1999, 2004, 2009)
- Transferred to Phoenix after Winnipeg franchise relocated, July 1, 1996.
- Traded to St. Louis by Phoenix for Michal Handzus, Ladislav Nagy, the rights to Jeff Taffe and St. Louis' 1st round pick (Ben Eager) in 2002 NHL Draft, March 13, 2001.
- Traded to Atlanta by St. Louis for Glen Metropolit, Atlanta's 1st (later traded to Calgary, Calgary selected Mikael Backlund) and 3rd (Brett Sonne) round picks in 2007 NHL Draft, and Atlanta's 1st (later traded back to Atlanta, Atlanta selected Zach Bogosian) and 2nd (Philip McRae) round picks in 2008 NHL Draft, February 25, 2007.
- Traded to St. Louis by Atlanta with future considerations for Atlanta's 1st round pick (previously acquired, Atlanta selected Zach Bogosian) in 2008 NHL Draft, June 26, 2007.
- Officially announced his retirement, April 13, 2010.