Keith Tkachuk

Keith Matthew Tkachuk (; born March 28, 1972) is an American former professional ice hockey player who played for four teams and three franchises in his 19-year career. He is one of only four American-born players to score 500 goals, and is the sixth American player to score 1,000 points.
== Playing career ==
Tkachuk began his hockey career at Malden Catholic High School in Malden, Massachusetts. Tkachuk played collegiate hockey at Boston University, was a member of the U.S. National Junior team in 1991 and 1992, and a member of the U.S. Olympic team in 1992. He was drafted in the first round (19th overall) in the 1990 entry draft by the Winnipeg Jets who acquired the pick from the Buffalo Sabres in the deal that sent Dale Hawerchuk to Buffalo. Tkachuk played as Center, Left Winger and Right Winger in his career.
Tkachuk has earned the nickname "Walt" (given to him by Eddie Olczyk), possibly in reference to Walter Tkaczuk, a star center who played for the New York Rangers from 1967 to 1981. The two players' last names are pronounced similarly but spelled differently, and the two men are not related to each other. With his great play in front of the net, St. Louis Blues broadcasters and fans dubbed the name "Big Walt" as well from this name.
=== Winnipeg Jets (1992–1996) ===
Only days after the end of the Olympics, Tkachuk made his NHL debut on February 28, 1992, against the Vancouver Canucks and tallied an assist. He would finish the season with the Jets, getting eight points in 17 games. In the playoffs that year, he scored three goals in seven games. The following season, 1992–93, was Tkachuk's official rookie year. He appeared in 83 games and ended the season with 28 goals and 51 points, including a 12–game scoring streak from March 9 to April 3, 1993. 
Tkachuk became the team captain the next season on November 3, 1993, two weeks after recording his first hat trick, against the Philadelphia Flyers. Some of his accomplishments from that season include leading the Jets in goals (41), points (81), and power play goals (22). The 1994–95 season, which was shortened by a lockout, saw Tkachuk earn all-star second-team honors, as well as being second on the team in points.
In the 1995–96 season, Tkachuk dominated the Jets' statistics finishing first in goals (50), assists (48), points (98), power play goals (20), game-winning goals (6), shots (249), and plus/minus (+11).
Tkachuk was stripped of the Jets captaincy, at the start of the 1995–96 NHL season (the Winnipeg Jets last season), after a contract dispute. Kris King was named the new captain. Tkachuk was restored as captain at the start of the 1996–97 NHL season, when the Jets moved to Phoenix, Arizona, to become the Phoenix Coyotes.
=== Phoenix Coyotes (1996–2001) ===
The Jets moved to Phoenix, Arizona, in 1996, where Tkachuk became a member of the new Phoenix Coyotes. It was with Phoenix during the 1996–97 season that he has his career-best 52 goals, and made his first appearance in the NHL All-Star Game. He also led the team in goals, points, power-play goals, game-winning goals, and shots for the 1997–98 season, earning him his second straight All-Star appearance. For the 1998–99 season, Tkachuk led the team in goals, power-play goals, game-winning goals, shots, and plus/minus, and again went to the All-Star game. In 1997, Tkachuk was on the cover of the video game NHL Breakaway '98.
After struggling with injuries for the next two seasons, the Coyotes traded Tkachuk to the Blues in 2001 for Ladislav Nagy, Michal Handzus, Jeff Taffe and a 1st round selection (Ben Eager), where he was re-united with Dallas Drake, who had signed a free agent deal with the Blues in the summer of 2000. He would leave the team ranking second in all-time goals (323) and first in penalty minutes (1,508) among other records.
=== St. Louis Blues and brief Atlanta Thrashers stint (2001–2010) ===
Tkachuk made an immediate impact on the Blues, scoring six goals and eight points in the final 12 games of the 2000–01 season. The Blues made it to the Western Conference final in the playoffs that season, losing to the Colorado Avalanche, the eventual 2001 Stanley Cup champions. He has experienced several injuries while with the Blues, and was briefly suspended when he reported to training camp overweight and failed his physical at the beginning of the 2005–06 season. 
On February 25, 2007, Tkachuk was traded to the Atlanta Thrashers for Glen Metropolit, a 1st round pick in 2007, a 3rd round pick in 2007 and a 2nd round pick in 2008. 
On June 26 of the same year, St. Louis reacquired Tkachuk along with a conditional 4th round draft pick for a conditional first round pick in 2008. If Tkachuk had re-signed with the Thrashers, the Blues would have had Atlanta's 1st round pick in 2008. Since the Blues acquired exclusive negotiating rights with Tkachuk and re-signed him to a two-year deal, Atlanta received a conditional 4th round pick in 2008.http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/sports/stories.nsf/blues/story/3D00FE74A9AF6C188625730700114292?OpenDocument
Tkachuk signed a new, two-year contract with the Blues for $8 million on June 30. Upon re-signing, Tkachuk said of the Blues that "I see a lot of good things happening... They're going to be very active in making this a better hockey team." To help prove the Blues would be better, after signing Tkachuk they signed left winger Paul Kariya. Coach Andy Murray announced that he would try a line where Tkachuk would be centering Kariya on left wing and Brad Boyes on right.
On the last day of the 2007–08 regular season (April 6), Tkachuk scored his 500th NHL Goal, a milestone only three other American-born players have achieved, and the 41st overall in NHL history.
On November 30, 2008, Tkachuk scored goal number 511, giving him 1,000 NHL points for his career. He becomes only the sixth American, and 72nd overall to achieve that milestone. It came in his 1,077th NHL game. He signed a one year contract with the Blues on June 19, 2009.http://tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=282339 On April 7, 2010, Tkachuk announced that he would be retiring from hockey at the conclusion of the 2009–10 season.http://blues.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=524403&cmpid=stl-twt-040710 He played his final NHL game two nights later on April 9, 2010.
== Awards ==
* Hockey East All-Rookie Team — 1991
* NHL Second All-Star Team — 1995, 1998
* Played in 5 NHL All-Star Games — 1997, 1998, 1999, 2004, 2009
* NHL Player of the Week — December 6, 1993; April 1, 1994; April 7, 1997
== Select milestones ==
* 1000 games played — December 1, 2007, against the Chicago Blackhawks
* 700 career points — April 5, 2002, against the Chicago Blackhawks
* 400 career goals — October 12, 2003, against the Colorado Avalanche
* 500 career goals — April 6, 2008, against the Columbus Blue Jackets
* 1000 career points — November 30, 2008, against the Atlanta Thrashers
== Records ==
Tkachuk led the NHL in goals during the 1996–97 season with 52, the first American-born player to do so. That season he was also only the fourth player in NHL history to record 50 goals and 200 penalty minutes in a single season.
Other records:
* Phoenix Coyotes franchise record for career game-winning goals (40)
* Phoenix Coyotes franchise record for career penalty minutes (1,508)
==Career statistics==
===Regular season and playoffs===
  	  	  	 	Regular season	Regular season	Regular season	Regular season	Regular season	 	Playoffs	Playoffs	Playoffs	Playoffs	Playoffs
Season 	Team 	League 	 	GP 	G 	A 	Pts 	PIM 	 	GP 	G 	A 	Pts 	PIM
1990–91 	Boston U. Terriers	HE 	 	36 	17 	23 	40 	70 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1991–92 	Winnipeg Jets 	NHL 	 	17 	3 	5 	8 	28 	 	7 	3 	0 	3 	30
1992–93 	Winnipeg Jets 	NHL 	 	83 	28 	23 	51 	201 	 	6 	4 	0 	4 	14
1993–94 	Winnipeg Jets 	NHL 	 	84 	41 	40 	81 	255 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1994–95 	Winnipeg Jets 	NHL 	 	48 	22 	29 	51 	152 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1995–96 	Winnipeg Jets 	NHL 	 	76 	50 	48 	98 	156 	 	6 	1 	2 	3 	22
1996–97 	Phoenix Coyotes 	NHL 	 	81 	52 	34 	86 	228 	 	7 	6 	0 	6 	7
1997–98 	Phoenix Coyotes 	NHL 	 	69 	40 	26 	66 	147 	 	6 	3 	3 	6 	10
1998–99 	Phoenix Coyotes 	NHL 	 	68 	36 	32 	68 	151 	 	7 	1 	3 	4 	13
1999–00 	Phoenix Coyotes 	NHL 	 	50 	22 	21 	43 	82 	 	5 	1 	1 	2 	4
2000–01 	Phoenix Coyotes 	NHL 	 	64 	29 	42 	71 	108 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2000–01 	St. Louis Blues 	NHL 	 	12 	6 	2 	8 	14 	 	15 	2 	7 	9 	20
2001–02 	St. Louis Blues 	NHL 	 	73 	38 	37 	75 	117 	 	10 	5 	5 	10 	18
2002–03 	St. Louis Blues 	NHL 	 	56 	31 	24 	55 	139 	 	7 	1 	3 	4 	14
2003–04 	St. Louis Blues 	NHL 	 	75 	33 	38 	71 	83 	 	5 	0 	2 	2 	10
2005–06 	St. Louis Blues 	NHL 	 	41 	15 	21 	36 	46 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2006–07 	St. Louis Blues 	NHL 	 	61 	20 	23 	43 	92 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2006–07 	Atlanta Thrashers 	NHL 	 	18 	7 	8 	15 	34 	 	4 	1 	2 	3 	12
2007–08 	St. Louis Blues 	NHL 	 	79 	27 	31 	58 	69 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2008–09 	St. Louis Blues 	NHL 	 	79 	25 	24 	49 	61 	 	4 	0 	0 	0 	2
2009–10 	St. Louis Blues 	NHL 	 	67 	13 	19 	32 	56 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
NHL totals	NHL totals 	NHL totals	 	1,201 	538 	527 	1,065 	2,219 	 	89 	28 	28 	56 	176
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
===International===
 
Year 	Team 	Comp 	GP	G 	A	Pts	PIM
1991 	United States 	WJC 	7 	6 	3	9 	12
1992 	United States 	WJC 	7 	3 	4	7 	6
1992 	United States 	OG 	8 	1 	1	2 	12
1996 	United States 	WCH 	7 	5 	1	6 	44
1998 	United States 	OG 	4 	0 	2	2 	6
2002 	United States 	OG 	5 	2 	0	2 	2
2004 	United States 	WCH 	5 	5 	1	6 	23
2006 	United States 	OG 	6 	0 	0	0 	8
Junior int'l totals	Junior int'l totals	Junior int'l totals	14	9 	7	16 	18
Senior int'l totals	Senior int'l totals	Senior int'l totals	35	13	5	18 	85
== Personal life ==
Tkachuk has been married to Chantal Oster, whom he met in Winnipeg since February 28, 1997, and has three children, named Matthew, Braeden, and Taryn. He is still a fan favorite in St. Louis and is an investor in sports talk radio station KFNS (590 AM, St. Louis MO). He is an assistant coach with the St. Louis Blues Peewee AAA hockey team, his son Braeden plays on the team 
Tkachuk is Irish on his mother's side, and is cousin to NHL player Tom Fitzgerald, whom he grew up with. When asked about the derivation of his surname, Tkachuk was unsure, suggesting it could either be "Polish, Russian, [or] Ukrainian, one of those."
==Notes and references==
==See also==
*Power forward (ice hockey)
*List of NHL players with 50 goal seasons
*List of NHL players with 500 goals
*List of NHL players with 1000 points
*List of NHL players with 2000 career penalty minutes
*List of NHL players with 1000 games played
==External links==
*
*
*Keith Tkachuk's U.S. Olympic Team bio
*ESPN Profile
Category:Born in 1972
Category:American ice hockey players
Category:Atlanta Thrashers players
Category:Boston University Terriers players
Category:1992 Olympian
Category:1998 Olympian
Category:2002 Olympian
Category:2006 Olympian
Category:National Hockey League players with 50 goal seasons
Category:National Hockey League All-Stars
Category:National Hockey League first round draft picks
Category:Olympic ice hockey players of the United States
Category:Phoenix Coyotes players
Category:St. Louis Blues players
Category:Winnipeg Jets draft picks
Category:Winnipeg Jets players