LUCKY NUMBER 7
By: Katrina Squazzin
Matthew Tkachuk is modest. Probably, too modest.
“I’m put in a situation where it’s kind of hard not to have success,” said the 6-foot-1, 195-pound forward “I’m playing with two great forwards up front and our defense is playing a lot better too…everything is going good so far and statistically wise, offensively I’m having a good year so hopefully I can keep it going.”
What Tkachuk considers “good,” others consider “great.”
High expectations were immediately placed on the St. Louis, Missouri native when he committed to play for the London Knights on May 8, 2015. The then 17-year-old had a lot to live up to, not only as the son of accomplished National Hockey League star, Keith Tkachuk, but also because of his strong performance as a member of the US National Development Program. The younger Tkachuk finished with 95 points in 65 games in his final year and also helped Team USA to gold medals at both the U17 and U18 world championships.
He hasn’t disappointed. In fact, he’s exceeded expectations.
He’s been a vital member of the Knights and an integral reason behind their late season push leading into the playoffs. He’s been a perfect fit on the left wing for the team’s top line alongside Toronto Maple Leafs prospect Mitch Marner and Arizona Coyotes prospect Christian Dvorak. He finished fifth in Ontario Hockey League (OHL) scoring with 30 goals and 77 assists despite missingseven games to attend the World Juniors where he helped team USA win a bronze medal. Tkachuk tied fellow top draft prospect Auston Matthews for the team scoring lead with 11 points at the tournament.
Not bad for a player that the Knights picked up in the fourth round, 64th overall, of the 2013 OHL draft.
He’s humble when asked about his success, giving credit to the people around him for helping develop his game.
“Probably the biggest thing is having coach Hunter back there,” said Tkachuk. “He’s coached a lot of great players and the fact that I’m surrounded by such great players, great talents and just being part of such a great team has helped individually.”
Now 18, Tkachuk is eligible for the 2016 NHL Entry Draft on June 24-25. He’s expected to be picked near the top of the first round with multiple draft rankings predicting he’ll go fourth overall, the same spot Marner went in 2015.
The Knights are now heading to the post season facing off against Owen Sound in the first round; however with the NHL draft looming, it’s hard to ignore the inevitable.
“You think about it every now and then,” said Tkachuk. “When you have interviews with teams, you start to think about the big picture for your future.”
While some players try to completely tune out the draft talk, Tkachuk allows some of it in, admitting he even tuned into one of the draft ranking shows.
“I was watching the mid-season one, it was on TSN,” said Tkachuk. “I happened to be watching TV, had a couple of the guys over, and it was pretty cool to see that you’re known as one of those guys that could be right up at the top.
“It makes you a little bit nervous too but it’s humbling. I want to keep getting noticed more and keep playing better so I can be confident with that.”
Game after game, he continues to make his case as a top pick in the upcoming draft. With more strong performances down the stretch, his stock will only continue to rise.
But for now, there’s still work to be done in London.
