"Those two are lunatics": Keith Tkachuk makes his thoughts extremely clear about his sons Matthew and Brady fueling fights against Canada

From the drop of the puck at center ice, there were fireworks between Matthew Tkachuk's Team USA and Team Canada in their first matchup of the Four Nations Face-Off tournament. There were not one but three fights in the opening 20 minutes, and they all took place before nine seconds had ticked off the game clock.

Two of the fights included the Tkachuck brothers, Matthew and Brady. They fought Brandon Hagel and Sam Bennett, respectively. In the audience was their father Keith Tkachuk, a former NHL All-Star and Team USA forward.

“First of all, it was unbelievable, the electricity in the building, and I had no idea they were going to do that, so they must have talked amongst themselves,” Keith said on Sunday. “I could figure it out when I saw the opening face-off what they were doing.

“But you know, they love their country, and this is the first time they get to play together. They knew the magnitude of this game. It wasn’t an exhibition game. It was the real thing. And I’m proud of them. They’re always team-first guys. It was great for the crowd. It was great for the game, and it was great for USA.”

Keith joked that his two sons were a couple of "lunatics" on the ice, following in his own footsteps from his playing career.

“Those two are lunatics,” Keith said. “I don’t know what to tell you. They’re great kids off the ice, but, on the ice, you know, they’re funny. I love the personality. I think it’s great.”

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Matthew Tkachuk and Brady Tkachuk are two of the most important players on their respective NHL teams

Just like their father during his playing days, both Tkachuk brothers are invaluable to their respective NHL teams.

Matthew has helped the Florida Panthers to consecutive berths in the Stanley Cup Final and became the first Tkachuk to raise the Cup, thanks to their thrilling seven-game series victory over the Edmonton Oilers last season.

Meanwhile, Brady is the captain and heart-and-soul leader of the Ottawa Senators. A physical force to be reckoned with, Brady also is a key offensive contributor for Ottawa, who has its sight set on making it back to the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time since its run to Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Final in 2017.