The Keith Tkachuk School of Hard Knocks: How a Hockey Legend Shaped Quinn Hughes
MILAN — They called themselves “The Three Amigos.” For Quinn Hughes and Brady Tkachuk, a formative two years spent living with Brady’s father, NHL legend Keith Tkachuk, proved instrumental in shaping their hockey careers and their lives.
The unlikely household in Ann Arbor, Michigan, while the two teenagers played for the U.S. National Team Development Program, wasn’t always easy, but it was undeniably impactful. “Fun,” Hughes said, smiling when recalling the experience. “He taught me how to drive. I don’t even know if it was legal.”
Keith Tkachuk, a four-time Olympian with 538 NHL goals – second-most all-time among U.S.-born scorers – readily admits to a no-nonsense approach. “Terrible driver. Terrible driver,” he joked about Hughes’ early attempts behind the wheel. “Godawful. I’d say, ‘Buddy, just let Brady drive!’ But every couple weeks, I’d take them to Ruth’s Chris, and Quinn was my chauffeur.”
The driving lessons, it turns out, were conducted before either Hughes or Tkachuk had obtained their driver’s licenses. Brady Tkachuk’s older brother, Matthew, also an NHL star and U.S. Olympian, jokingly suggested a motive: ensuring Hughes could drive Keith home after dinner if he’d had a few drinks.
While Brady was accustomed to his father’s mentorship, Quinn Hughes found himself immersed in a new dynamic. Keith Tkachuk described his approach as putting Hughes “through the school of hard knocks,” a period of growth and learning that extended beyond the rink.
The arrangement wasn’t without its challenges. Keith Tkachuk’s directness and honesty, as described by his cousin and New Jersey Devils general manager Tom Fitzgerald, were a constant presence. “He’s got no filter,” Fitzgerald said. “What he thinks, he says. He’s unique and authentic.”
Evenings often involved lively dinner table conversations, with Keith dissecting game action and offering candid feedback. Jim Hughes, Quinn’s father, emphasized the value of Keith’s straightforwardness. “The impact he had on Quinn was incredible. And he always told the truth.”
The foundation for this unique bond was laid years earlier, when Quinn and Brady first met as Peewee players at the Brick tournament in Edmonton. They exchanged jerseys after the tournament and quickly became close, a friendship that blossomed during their time living with Keith.
“We grew to become close right away,” Brady Tkachuk said. “I remember that first night: We played a ton of mini-sticks, just hanging out and having fun. We became inseparable from there.”
Even now, as seasoned NHL players and Olympic teammates, the connection remains strong. Quinn Hughes still seeks guidance from Keith Tkachuk, and the two continue to lean on each other. Their personalities, however, offer a striking contrast: Brady is known for his boisterous energy, while Quinn is generally more reserved.
“We definitely have different personalities, and I think that’s what makes it great,” Brady Tkachuk said. “We counterbalance each other.”
The physical difference is also notable: Brady stands at 6 feet 4 inches and weighs 226 pounds, while Quinn is 5 feet 10 inches and 180 pounds. But as Matthew Tkachuk pointed out, the size disparity wasn’t as pronounced during their time in the Program.
Keith Tkachuk’s influence extended beyond hockey skills and strategy. He instilled a sense of accountability and resilience in both young players, even resorting to playful punishments, like serving a “s—-y peanut butter and jelly sandwich” to Quinn after he discarded a packed lunch.
“He fed them like kings, made steak and rice every night, but God forbid they lost the game,” Matthew Tkachuk recalled. “There was a box of cereal waiting for them on the kitchen table when they got home off the bus.”
Both Hughes and Tkachuk were high draft picks – Brady at No. 4 to the Ottawa Senators and Quinn at No. 7 to the Vancouver Canucks in 2018 – and are now key players for the U.S. Olympic team. They were among the first six players named to the team in June 2025.
As they compete in the Olympics, with Jack Hughes also on the U.S. Roster, the bond forged during those formative years in Ann Arbor remains a powerful force. “I truly think he’s the best defenseman in the NHL,” Brady Tkachuk said of Quinn. “He truly is a game breaker, and he’s just so special to watch.”
For Keith Tkachuk, the experience was equally rewarding. “It was my pleasure,” he said. “As much as I hope they learned from me, I learned a lot from them, and we had a blast. It was all sports. We loved watching hockey together. We loved talking about hockey. And Quinn’s a great kid. That was probably his first time away, especially from his parents. So it was basically the Keith Tkachuk School of Hard Knocks.”
