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On one hand, he could sign his first
professional contract with the Ottawa Senators. But that would
mean leaving his friends and teammates at Boston University,
where he shined as a freshman last season.
Ultimately, the 18-year-old decided to follow his dream -- and
his famous family -- into the NHL. He signed a three-year,
entry-level deal with the Senators on Monday, one day after
reports leaked that he planned to go pro.
"I am very excited to be a Senator," Tkachuk said to NHL.com.
"It was a tough choice because I loved my time at Boston
University. I want to thank everyone who has helped me. I'm
super excited to get things started."
Ottawa selected Tkachuk with the fourth overall pick in this
summer's draft. He scored 31 points (eight goals, 23 assists) in
40 games with Boston University last season.
Tkachuk's father, Keith, scored 538 goals in 1,201 NHL games
from 1992 to 2010. Brady Tkachuk's older brother, Matthew, has
notched 97 points (37 goals, 60 assists) in his first two
seasons with the Calgary Flames.
Senators general manager Pierre Dorion welcomed Tkachuk into the
fold.
"Brady Tkachuk exemplifies all the attributes around which we
want to improve the Ottawa Senators," Dorion said to NHL.com.
"He is a young man of exceptional character. We know how much he
agonized over leaving Boston University, and we are encouraged
by the degree of accountability and commitment this shows from
him.
"Through tenacity, combativeness and work ethic, he also
exemplifies leadership skills that we know will benefit the team
now and well into the future. Most of all, Brady has shown us
through his maturity that he is coachable, committed to teamwork
and determined to help us strengthen our team chemistry."
--Field Level Media
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