Are The Tkachuk Brothers Better Together?

The 2025 NHL 4 Nations Face-Off has been a massive hit with NHL fans, drawing attention to the sport. Featuring NHL players representing Team USA, Canada, Finland, and Sweden, the tournament has delivered high-intensity matchups and set the stage for a thrilling championship showdown.

As Team USA prepares to face Canada in the Championship game Thursday night, all eyes are on the Tkachuk brothers. Both Brady and Matthew will be back on the ice against Team Canada after missing all or part of the games against Sweden on Monday. Older brother Matthew made headlines in the USA-Canada round-robin matchup on February 15, dropping the gloves with Brandon Hagel just seconds after puck drop—an exclamation point on the physical, heated rivalry between the two nations.

The brothers are two of the top talents in the NHL with Brady Tkachuk serving as Captain of the Ottawa Senators and Matthew Tkachuk serving as an Alternate Captain for the Florida Panthers. They are both leaders on their respective teams, and with their high-energy, physical style making an impact, I took a look at how both Matthew and Brady are playing during the 4 Nations Face-Off compared to the 2024-2025 regular season.

Less Time On The Ice

As leaders on the Florida Panthers and Ottawa Senators, the Tkachuk brothers are accustomed to heavy minutes in the NHL. During the 2024-25 regular season, Brady Tkachuk is averaging 18:37 of ice time per game, while Matthew Tkachuk logs 18:14 per game. That ranks them 207th and 225th, respectively, among the 855 NHL players who average at least five minutes per game. Their play time is a testament to their importance as top-line producers and key special teams contributors.

However, their ice time has dipped during the 4 Nations Face-Off, in part due to injuries. Brady played just 1:55 against Sweden before leaving with a lower-body injury, while Matthew was sidelined entirely for precautionary reasons. As a result, Matthew Tkachuk is averaging 14:29 on the ice per game, and Brady Tkachuk is averaging just 9:29 on the ice per game. Despite the reduced workload, both have made their presence felt when on the ice.

More Time In The Penalty Box

Few players in the NHL blend skill and physicality as effectively as the Tkachuk brothers, but their aggressive style comes at a cost. The two brothers spend more time in the penalty box than most other players in the NHL. Brady Tkachuk is the second-most penalized player in the league with 101 Penalty Infraction Minutes (PIM). Matthew Tkachuk also spends his fair share of time in the penalty box with 54 PIM so far this regular season.

That trend has carried over into 4 Nations Face-Off play. Both brothers were penalized in Team USA’s heated round-robin battle against Canada, contributing to their 5 PIM each for the tournament. While that number may seem minor, their penalty rate per minute played has actually spiked in the tournament compared to the NHL.

For every minute on the ice during the regular season, Matthew Tkachuk spent 3.4 seconds in the penalty box, and Brady Tkachuk spent 5.8 seconds in the penalty box. Compare that to a 4 Nations Face-Off average of 10.4 seconds in the penalty box and 10.5 seconds in the penalty box per minute on the ice for Matthew and Brady, respectively. That’s nearly double their NHL penalty rates, suggesting they have leaned even harder into their hard-nosed, agitating style. Do not expect them to slow down in the championship.

Improved Scoring Efficiency

The Tkachuk brothers have been a driving force for Team USA’s offense in the 4 Nations Face-Off, each netting two goals. That is tied for fourth most in the tournament and accounts for 40% of Team USA’s goal production. Matthew Tkachuk also has an assist during the tournament.

On the surface, their per-game production shows a slight uptick for Matthew (1.5 points per game vs. 1.1 points per game during the regular season) and a slight dip for Brady (0.67 points per game vs. 0.79 points per game during the regular season). But a closer look at their scoring efficiency tells a much more compelling story.

While the per game stats may seem like a modest difference compared to their season totals, when adjusted for time on the ice, the brothers dramatically increased their goal scoring production. Matthew Tkachuk scored 0.023 goals per minute, and Brady Tkachuk scored 0.020 goals per minute on the ice during the first half of this regular season. During the 4 Nations Face-Off, however, the pair scored nearly three times more goals per minute on the ice. Matthew Tkachuk has scored 0.069 goals per minute while Brady Tkachuk has scored 0.070 goals per minute. If the pair have the same amount of time on the ice as Team USA’s first game against Team Finland when both players were healthy, Matthew Tkachuk is on track to score 1.23 goals and Brady Tkachuk is on track to score 0.96 goals.

What It Means For Team USA

The Tkachuks’ ability to convert scoring chances at such a high rate in limited ice time suggests that if given more minutes, they could be even more dangerous. Heading into the championship showdown against Canada, their efficiency in front of the net could be the X-factor Team USA needs to claim the title.

The 4 Nations Face-Off Championship game between Team USA and Canada will start Thursday at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN, ESPN+, ESPN Deportes, and Disney+.