Tkachuk was also a gold medalist at the World Cup, winning it with the United States in 1996. He had 1,065 points (538 goals, 527 assists) in 1,201 NHL games for the Winnipeg Jets (1991-96), Phoenix Coyotes (1996-2001), St. Louis Blues (2001-07, 2007-10) and Atlanta Thrashers (2007). His 538 goals were second most of all eligible players not already elected to the Hall of Fame behind Patrick Marleau (566).
The Hall of Fame selection capped a momentous weekend for Tkachuk and his family. On Sunday, his son Brady Tkachuk was traded from the Ottawa Senators to the Florida Panthers to be teammates with Keith’s older son, Matthew Tkachuk. But he couldn’t tell them right away about the Hall of Fame nod.
“I have a house full of grandkids here,” Keith said. “It’s been a crazy weekend. I was at home, and honestly, I missed a few phone calls from (the Hall of Fame), but I got the phone call again. I couldn’t believe it. I actually didn’t tell my family for about 45 minutes. I grabbed my brother, my niece’s fiancé and Brady and said, ‘Hey, you guys want to have a beer together?’ And then I told them and broke the news to them.
“I’m emotional and I knew if I went in and told my family right away I just wouldn’t be able to handle it, so it was a thrill to get that call.”
Curley starred with Providence College and helped the Friars win back-to-back NCAA championships in 1983-84 and 1984-85. At the inaugural IIHF Women’s Hockey Championship in 1990, she helped the United States win a silver medal and continued as team captain until 1996. During her time with the U.S. women’s team, Curley won two more silver medals, in 1992 and 1994.
She said it was extra special to get this honor while women’s hockey is on the rise, with the U.S. winning gold at the 2026 Winter Olympics and the Professional Women’s Hockey League gaining in popularity.
“When I was playing, I hoped I could play on a girls team at some point, and then to be able to play at Providence, which is the greatest school I think, and playing on the first Worlds team,” Curley said, “and seeing it progress to the Olympics and now professional, and seeing how great the players are, it’s just wonderful.”
Burke began his NHL management career in 1987 as vice president and director of hockey operations for the Vancouver Canucks. In 1992, he joined the Hartford Whalers as general manager before moving to the NHL office as senior vice president and director of hockey operations in 1993. In 1998, he was named president and GM of the Canucks. In 2005, he became executive vice president of the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim, winning the Cup with the team (by then known as the Anaheim Ducks) in 2007. Burke later assumed team president roles with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Calgary Flames and Pittsburgh Penguins.
When asked what he felt was his greatest hockey contribution, Burke paused for a second, saying he was “trying to think of an intelligent response.”
He said making the Providence College hockey team as a walk-on was the biggest accomplishment to that point in his life, then mentioned winning the Stanley Cup with the Ducks and later said one of his best memories is drafting Daniel Sedin and Henrik Sedin with the Canucks.
He then said, “I hadn’t expected this today. No one does. No one starts playing hockey and says, ‘Someday I’m going to be in the Hockey Hall of Fame,’ unless you’re an idiot.
“You make an all-star team and then you should never think about it. I never thought about it.”
