Ottawa Senators' Brady Tkachuk to become a father; is the world ready for 'Godfather' Matthew Tkachuk?

OTTAWA — Here’s the latest item that will make you feel old. 

Remember that baby-faced teenager who came to Ottawa in 2018 to become a young leader of the NHL Senators?

Well, Brady Tkachuk is about to become a dad for the first time, and he was beaming as he shared the news with Ottawa media on Thursday morning. 

“It’s been hard to keep it secret here for the last little bit,” Tkachuk said. He first shared the news on his Instagram account on Wednesday alongside an image with his wife, Emma Farinacci, and a cake with the words ‘Baby Tkachuk’ in white icing. 

“Now it’s out there and I’m fired up,” Tkachuk said. “It’s pretty neat, I can hardly describe it.”

Tkachuk, 24, says that both families are beyond thrilled for what will be the first grandchild on both sides. (“He’s going to be pretty spoiled,” Tkachuk said). 

According to Tkachuk, he raced home from a recent western road swing of the Ottawa Senators to be part of a private gender reveal ceremony with Emma. 

“We found out mid-road trip in California but couldn’t open it up until we got back to Ottawa,” Tkachuk said. “So, it was a mad dash from the plane back to the house. It was a pretty special moment, for sure.”

By now you know, It’s a Boy! as revealed by the cut of the cake. 

“When I saw the colour blue in the cup, it was pretty cool, I’m not going to lie to you,” Tkachuk said. 

The gender reveal video was shared with the Tkachuk and Farinacci families. 

“We’re so lucky and blessed for it to happen for us, and we’re just excited for September now,” Tkachuk said. 

Brady and Emma were married last July and will be naturals as parents. 

They are both heavily involved in the Ottawa Boys and Girls Club, having made a long-term commitment to the support of children with their Tkachuk’s Captains program. The program promotes healthy living and nutrition for children in step with sport participation. 

Off camera, Tkachuk is just as engaging with any child in the room as he is when he is asked to do promotional work. Just last week, a youth hockey team was at the Canadian Tire Centre to watch the Senators practice and Tkachuk called up to them and welcomed the young players before he even stepped onto the ice. 

Of course, to those who cover the Senators it doesn’t seem that long ago when Tkachuk was looked at as a child himself. Drafted fourth overall by Ottawa in 2018, he joined the team as an 18-year-old and turned 19 in training camp. 

In November 2021, Tkachuk, 22, became the youngest captain in Senators history. Today, he’s a three-time 30-goal scorer and the current team leader in that department with 31, not to mention the club’s emotional heartbeat.  

This next step, becoming a father, has Tkachuk reflecting on his time in Ottawa. 

“Definitely, down memory lane, I think about my first day here," he said. "And now, here, six years later, it’s been a whirlwind. A lot of unbelievable memories here. I love playing here. I love being in this city. This city is home. 

“And now to start a family and be here, it’s super special to me and my wife.”

Keith Tkachuk, father to NHLers Matthew and Brady, and a long-time player himself, was so excited at the thought of being a grandfather that he “spilled the beans” early to a few of his buddies, according to Brady. 

“Just to see my parents and Emma’s parents’ reactions, and of course our siblings, it’s something that we’ll both never forget,” Tkachuk said. 

Naturally, brother Matthew, a scoring star for the Florida Panthers, is all over the news of his kid brother becoming a dad. 

“Oh, he’s fired up,” Brady said. “He’s already expecting to be the godfather. He said that right away. That’s his expectation and he’ll be disappointed if not. So, I’ll guess we’ll have to figure that one out.”