Tie game late, need a goal — which Tkachuk would you want with the possible game-winner on their stick?
I’ll go with Taryn.
The youngest sibling from the famous ºüÀêÊÓƵ family, Taryn Tkachuk is a field hockey standout for the University of Virginia. Entering her senior season this month, Tkachuk is coming off an All-ACC second-team campaign, in which she scored eight goals in 21 games … and her team advanced to the Final Four.
“Athlete-wise, my dad used to always have rankings each week or month, trying to rank us,†Taryn said with a smile via Zoom. “But obviously Matthew’s had it for a while, since winning the Stanley Cup. So, I’ve got to get this season going and hopefully get back up on the leaderboard.â€
Dad, of course, is Keith Tkachuk, a member of the Blues Hall of Fame. He’s one of four Blues ever to total 400 points but also 600 minutes in the penalty box. Brady Tkachuk scored 37 goals with 37 assists last season for Ottawa. And Matthew is NHL star, fresh of his second trip to the Cup Final, this time coming home with the Cup.
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“On the ice, after they won, Matthew’s trying to put it in our hands,†Taryn recalled after Game 7 in Florida. “But I’m like — there are so many people around, and it’s really, actually pretty heavy. You start, low and try to lift it up — and I was like, ‘Oh gosh!’ But with our experience at UVA with lifting, I was like, ‘I just have to do a power clean!’ So by the end of the night, I was able to actually lift it up on my own.â€
There is something about the Tkachuk way to play. All of them are nice humans, to be sure. But on the ice or field, they just have this steadfast mindset of dominance, be it physical or psychological. Not every one, even stars, are wired this way. It’s pretty cool.
So, how did Keith do it? How did he get all three kids to play like he did?
“Well, I think you have to have that compete (in you) — and want to be able to play in the tough areas,†Keith said by phone Wednesday. “And she wasn’t treated any different because she was a girl, especially around the two older brothers. And I certainly didn’t treat her differently. So she learned how to work for things and play in the hard areas. And, you know, when things aren’t going well and there’s adversity, I think she’s dealt with it pretty well. I love the fact that she’s strong and uses her body and plays that aggressive style. That’s what we do in our family.â€
I sometimes think about this question: Who are the most-dominant athletes in ºüÀêÊÓƵ high school history? Not necessarily who was the greatest to come out of ºüÀêÊÓƵ but who was the most dominant during their era. Hard to compare sports, I know. Heck, hard to compare eras. And I think everyone is coming in second to Kristin Folkl of St. Joseph’s Academy, who played varsity basketball and volleyball and won eight state titles. But goodness, Taryn Tkachuk has to be on the Mount Rushmore.
Consider that she was this newspaper’s All-Metro field hockey player of the year three times. She finished her Villa Duchene career with 135 goals and 91 assists. Her senior year, she scored 32 goals — more than double the total of any other player. And in her final game — the state title match — she secured an undefeated season with a championship-winning goal in overtime.
Villa Duchene 1, John Burroughs 0.
“Honestly, that was one of the coolest days of my life,†Taryn said of Oct. 31, 2020. “One, it was my 18th birthday, which was pretty fun. And unfortunately, it was COVID, but also fortunately, my whole family was able to be there (because the NHL wasn’t playing). My brothers usually never got to see my games.
And honestly, it was fun to just celebrate and see them cheering me on — I feel like I’ve seen a lot more of their games. but it was fun for them to be there, and it was an awesome experience. I mean, go out of high school field hockey with that? That was pretty fun.â€
At Virginia, Taryn has undergone three surgeries — knee, knee and hip. But she still found stretches to dominate, notably the postseason in 2022, when she was named to the All-ACC Tournament team.
“What has made me most proud,†said her mom, Chantal, “is her perseverance.â€
This summer, Taryn interned with the New Jersey Devils. She shadowed front office members during her time, notably at the NHL draft in Las Vegas. No, she doesn’t know what she wants to do when she grows up (yes, people ask her that all the time, including a pesky reporter). But it’s possible it’ll be in ice hockey.
But for now, her focus is hoisting another trophy. One last run. The goal isn’t simply the Final Four.
“I’m super pumped for this year,†Taryn said. “We’ve been all together since the beginning of July, so we’ve been jelling pretty nicely. ... (Offensively), we like to attack, and so that’s the fun part of playing forward. We’re all go, go, go.â€