David Perron and Brady Tkachuk, a couple of old buddies

Oddly enough, David Perron wasn't the happiest player on the ice Monday night in Nashville, when he beat Juuse Saros to score his first goal with the Ottawa Senators.

Brady Tkachuk's reaction was even stronger.

The captain exploded with joy.

“I'm so happy,” Tkachuk shouted in the moment.

A dozen hours later, that feeling of elation hadn't changed.

“I'm really happy for DP,” said Tkachuk, speaking before the first of a two-game series in Tampa Bay. “I’m happy because I think of everything he's been through since the start of the season. He's back now. He's ready to contribute to our success. And for us, his contribution will be huge.”

Tkachuk is also happy because Perron happens to be an old friend.

Their friendship blossomed almost 20 years ago, in the fall of 2007, when Perron was 19 and a rookie in the St. Louis Blues organization.

He was a long way from home then. Luckily, a veteran with a kindly attitude – and a young family – was doing all he could to make sure he never felt alone.

That veteran was Keith Tkachuk.

Tkachuk often opened the doors of his home to his young teammates.

“Sometimes, a few players would go and have dinner at the Tkachuk house. Sometimes, I'd be the only one invited,” recalls the Quebec native. “When I was sitting at their big table, I'd sometimes do some calculations. I quickly realized that there was less of an age difference between Keith's kids and me.”

So when the meal was over, Perron didn't feel too bad about going down to the basement with young Matthew, Brady and Taryn to have a little fun.

“We played some intense games of mini sticks,” says Perron.

Intense games?

“You didn’t want to get in a battle in the corners with the boys.”

If the brothers are now among the most respected power forwards in the NHL, it's because they learned early on to play the right way.

“It was crazy. Matthew and Brady together, they were completely nuts,” laughs Perron. “When I went to their place, what I loved was the real hockey atmosphere. It wasn't negative at all. At the Tkachuk's, we had fun. There were framed jerseys on the walls. The basement was for mini sticks. Weekends were devoted to minor hockey. Keith was a real hockey fan. He talked about hockey all the time. I remember Keith could be hard on the kids because he wanted them to play the right way. He wanted them to be power forwards. That is exactly what they are today.”

Brady's memories are quite similar.

He smiles, for example, when asked about mini sticks.

“We put in a lot of holes in the walls at my parents’ house. I feel like every time my mom or dad fixed the walls, we’d want to put more holes into them,” he laughs.

“I think DP came to visit us more often than the other Blues players,” adds Brady, noting that the young Quebec forward didn't just play hockey with the Tkachuk kids. “He played video games, too. One day, my dad tried to join us, but we laughed a lot at him because it was the first time he'd tried it and he wasn't very good.”

“I remember traveling with DP to attend the 2009 All-Star Game in Montreal. My dad was in the All-Star Game and DP was there for the Young Stars Game. It's fun to reminisce.”

OLD SCHOOL LEADER

In 2007, as an assistant to captain Eric Brewer, Keith Tkachuk could be pretty tough on Blues rookies.

Young Perron, who was a training camp surprise and secured an NHL spot while still eligible for junior hockey, soon found out the hard way.

And he didn't mind at all.

“Keith was very tough. In fact, he wouldn't give me a break. Sometimes, after a period when I'd made a mistake, he wouldn't admonish me in front of everyone,” recalls Perron. “He might ask the trainers to come and see him in the corridor. Whenever that happened, I knew what I was in for.”

Perron had been a first-round pick. In 2007, when they were in the midst of a rebuilding phase, the Blues held three of the first 26 selections in the draft. When it came time to make their third selection, they decided to take a chance by claiming this young man with an intriguing background, who had played just one season in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) and had never really played at competitive levels in minor hockey.

“I had a lot to learn. There were lots of little details in the game that I didn't understand. Some things I had to learn the hard way. At the same time, I'm not convinced that I would have had such a long career in the NHL if I hadn't had those moments,” says Perron. “I wouldn't be here now without people like him, who had the patience to teach me what I needed to learn.”

Of all the players drafted in 2007, only three went on to play more than 1,100 games in the NHL. The very first player selected that year, Patrick Kane, tops the list. The American winger played 1,274 games. Jamie Benn and Perron follow up, having played 1,165 and 1,147 games respectively.

Perron has played for six different teams and scored more than 300 career goals. He was the Blues' top scorer in the spring of 2019, when they captured the Stanley Cup.

“I'm grateful for a lot of things in life,” says Perron. “Among others, for my meeting with the Tkachuk family.”

Ottawa for the family

Today, David Perron is proud to live in a house where hockey is a big part of life.

When he signed a two-year contract with the Senators last summer, he was happy to be closer to home. For the first time in his career, he lives less than 400 kilometers from the Eastern Townships, the region of Quebec where he grew up. He also knew that his children could thrive by participating in well-structured activities.

Little did he know, at the time, just how beneficial it would all be. For lots of people.

“I've reached another level in my career where I'm always thinking about my family’s well-being. I realize that it's not all about me. If I give my parents the choice of coming to Ottawa to see one of my games, or to see one of my son's games, I know very well which way they're going to lean,” says Perron with a grin. “And I don't see that as negative at all.”

Perron now views himself as a mentor. He'd like to help the Senators' young players grow and learn. He'd like to be the one to pass on the knowledge, even if it means being a bit stern at times.

He'd love nothing better than to do it in Ottawa, a city where he's very much at home.

“In every city where I've played, I've accumulated a bit of baggage. The last two years with the Red Wings have helped me prepare to handle different situations. There are games you should win that you don't. I've learned that it's important to use the right methods to move forward,” explains Perron. “And yes, from time to time, you have to learn to turn negative experiences into positive learning opportunities. All my experiences have prepared me well.”