The Blues just announced a special moment for Keith Tkachuk on Saturday, with his son Matthew Tkachuk and the Panthers in town.
Big Walt is about to get his night in St. Louis, and two of his sons will be in the building wearing the other team's colors. It makes for an awkward and emotional setup.
The Blues' official account said they are celebrating Big Walt's Hockey Hall of Fame induction with a special moment before Saturday's 6 p.m. game against Florida.
The post doesn't say what the moment will be, who will take part or how long it will last. We'll wait for the team to fill in those blanks.
What we do know is who will be on the other side. Matthew and his brother Brady Tkachuk are both on the Panthers' roster, so the night will be a family reunion on enemy ice.
The brothers were already soaking it in. The Tkachuk brothers celebrated Keith's Hall of Fame moment earlier this week, and Keith has since broken his silence on Brady's Ottawa return.
Now the whole family gets to share it with the franchise Big Walt played for. Few players get to see a tribute to their father from the visiting bench, and fewer get to do it together.
Can the Tkachuk line stay locked in on Saturday?
It should. Brady and Matthew now play on a line with Sam Bennett, and the trio is rolling at the right time. Bennett scored twice in Columbus on Tuesday night in the 4-1 win.
Matthew has 27 points (4 goals, 23 assists) in 19 games and has points in 16 of them, according to Jameson Olive. Brady has 10 goals and 20 points. That's a line that doesn't need a script.
Brady Tkachuk trading blows with Adam Fantilli in Columbus was a reminder that his emotions run close to the surface. Saturday will test that. Channeling the night into the game, instead of letting it pull him off it, is the job.
Before the trip, the Panthers host the Red Wings on Thursday, who have lost four straight.
Then the family heads to St. Louis for the night.
This article was written with the help of artificial intelligence, based on public reports and official sources.
Will Matthew Tkachuk and Brady Tkachuk both get on the scoresheet in St. Louis on Saturday?
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