Location: A simple man leading a complicated life....
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Dennis Wideman broke into the NHL in 2005 with the St. Louis Blues. During his rookie season, he remembers, an 8-year-old boy would often run around the team's dressing room.
When his current team, the Calgary Flames, made that boy the No. 6 pick in the draft last June, the now-33-year-old Wideman immediately texted the kid's father -- and Wideman's former teammate -- Keith Tkachuk.
Oh, how the hockey world goes 'round and 'round.
The question was, would the Flames' veteran defenseman playfully torment Matthew Tkachuk like his old man did to a then-22-year-old Wideman?
"Keith Tkachuk was a pretty vocal guy, and he would definitely let you know if he didn't like something you were doing, that's for sure," Wideman said with a smile. So is Wideman now repaying the favor to the next-generation Tkachuk?
"A little bit,'' said Wideman, grinning again. "But he's playing well for us. We ride him a little bit just to keep him low. But he's a real good kid. There's not much you have to say to him.''
Matthew Tkachuk smiles at the thought that Wideman has been a teammate to both his dad and now him. What are the odds?
"It's crazy when you think about it like that," said Tkachuk, 19. "He's got some good stories about my dad. And I've got some good stories about Dennis, so maybe Wides will have a kid and I'll play with him.''
MT is definitely one of my favourite players. But I also have a massive soft spot for him because he reminds me so much of my nephew, all the way up to the little hint of a lisp he has. I can't wait to see what this kid's future holds!
P.S. Very cool picture of him and Iggy, and I totally dug the Hamilton boys and Stajan as well. Thanks for posting them!
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Bennett also played a very similar game for most of last year and in the playoffs as a rookie, but with worse linemates.
I'm confident in Bennett's future. He'll figure it out and the team will be dangerous with he and Tkachuk causing havoc with and without the puck.
But yes, Tkachuk is a gem. He's exactly what we need in the top 6. His forechecking alone looks damn near elite, not to mention his offensive instincts from behind the net.
The bolded is what most surprised me about Tkachuk's game this season. We kept hearing 'skating is his weakness' countless times, so how does this kid keep getting the puck on the forecheck?
I think I will make a leap of a comparison here, and go to a totally different sport to draw up this comparison - Dennis Rodman.
For those that aren't familiar with Rodman's game, he was not a very big guy (relatively speaking in basketball terms), but he was a rebound machine. He might have been the smallest player on the court fighting for that rebound, but he would get it. When asked how he does it, he simply replied: "I want that ball more than anyone else."
Tkachuk isn't the fastest skater, and being 18 (19 now) he isn't the biggest and strongest guy on the ice either (usually the weakest physically I would guess), but he seems like he just wants it more than anyone else. If a player takes it away from him, he seems to really hate it and won't quit on the play, but instead keeps going after the player forcing the player to make a play.
His compete level is through the roof.
Then you look at his linemates - I don't think any other players on the Flames have as high of a compete level than Tkachuk, Backlund and Frolik. Night in, night out and even shift in, and shift out, they compete hard throughout their shift, and in every zone.
I think Puljujarvi will be a really good player in the NHL (unfortunately) for a long time, and I was really sad seeing him go to the Oilers. However, I would simply HATE Tkachuk playing for Edmonton even more. Flames are really lucky to have this kid fall into their laps.
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He's only missing one thing to put him over the top.
I've been moaning and pissing and puling for a few years now we needed a villain. A Ville character. SO SO SO happy to have Tkachuk
Different players.
All the same, Nemo was a character. Absolutely insanely entertaining on-ice and off-ice for the press quotes . Tkachuk is several steps above talent-wise, but yeah, a Ville Nieminen-esque character on the team would epic. EPIC!
I loved that guy. If the Flames got another player of that ilk I would love it.
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@MattStajan18
#TBT @CarloColaiacovo and I back in the day with a few of my current teammates. 😂😂😂
#sweetsunglasses #littlebrotherDougie #bigbroFreddie
I just poked through Stajan's Twitter feed and his family is utterly adorable. They seem to do a lot of community outreach too. I teared up because I'm a giant sap so feel free to make fun of me, I'm used to it
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In all fairness to bennett, its much hard to be a power forward centreman - you have to play a 200ft game, own the centre of the ice in the neutral zone, and play hard on the boards in the two end zones.
How many can you think of? Not very many. Lots more playmaking centers and two-way centres.
And how quickly do power forward centers normally emerge? Getzlaf and Forsberg didn't really emerge until they were 22-23. Sedin emerged at 25. Thornton and Toews emerged at 20. Crosby and McDavid at 18. Carter at 24.
The best thing about Tkachuk is how angry he makes Edmonton and Vancouver fans. There is always so much salt about him from Oiler and Canuck fans. I love it.
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The best thing about Tkachuk is how angry he makes Edmonton and Vancouver fans. There is always so much salt about him from Oiler and Canuck fans. I love it.
It's like 50% salt for how he plays and 50% salt over the realization that they could have had him instead of their pick (maybe that's more so van then edm). Loved this pick at the time and think he is a great asset to the team we have been missing for years
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I love it when the lineup has all of Tkachuk, Hathaway, Ferland, and angry Brouwer in it. We have at least one guy per line that can make life hard on the opponent, and it usually works in our favour. Versteeg isn't bad at being a pest either.
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I just poked through Stajan's Twitter feed and his family is utterly adorable. They seem to do a lot of community outreach too. I teared up because I'm a giant sap so feel free to make fun of me, I'm used to it
The Stajans are fantastic people.
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I find Tkachuk reminds me more and more of Perry every time I see him. He's got this innate ability to make plays accidentally-on-purpose. An extra shove to the defenceman or a few extra prods at the goaltender. But he's also able to burn the other team with his hands as well.
He's not a uniquely qualified player in his own end but a pest with great offensive skills...which pretty well summarizes the Perry comparison.
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