Just days after getting the news that both his sons were among the six players to be named for the USA squad for the 2026 Olympics, Keith Tkachuk saw his elder son lift the Stanley Cup for the second year in a row. “Not only seeing him win the Cup a second time, but everything else that has happened to the family this week. I just don’t want this to end. I really don’t.” Keith wasn’t just watching his son hoist the Cup; he was living the dream he himself had never fulfilled before retiring. That being said, he did have an illustrious career, one that could potentially make him a Hall of Famer. However, unfortunately, not everyone thinks he deserves it.

It was April 7, 2010, when Keith Tkachuk announced that he was retiring from the NHL at the end of the 2009-10 season. And on April 9, he played his final NHL game, finishing his career with an impressive 538 goals and 1065 points, milestones many players only dream of reaching. But as the now 53-year-old has accomplished a great deal on the ice, there is still plenty of ongoing debate about whether he deserves a place in the Hockey Hall of Fame.

This all started when The Athletic wrote an article discussing potential Hall of Fame inductees and shared the same on X. Reacting to the post, NHL reporter Al MacInnis wrote, “Keith Tkachuk should absolutely be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame.” He also added, “While there are no clear criteria on why a player is inducted, his NHL career statistics and representation for the USA in international competitions are more than enough for a place in the Hall of Fame.” 

Over the 1201 games he played, Keith Tkachuk also racked up a staggering 2219 penalty minutes—a number that his son Brady thinks will be difficult to beat. “I mean, he’s got 2,000, I think, in total. I don’t… I mean it gets to a thousand a win, but 2000 is a tough one to beat,” he said back in February. However, even with all these numbers next to his name, Keith Tkachuk couldn’t get netizens’ unanimous verdict on whether he should be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame.

NHL Fans are divided over Keith Tkachuk’s potential Hall of Fame induction 

“Andy Moog, Chris Osgood, Mike Keenan, Keith Tkachuk, Rick Middleton, Brian Bellows, Kerry Fraser. To name a few,” wrote a fan, offering their two cents on players who deserve to be in the Hockey Hall of Fame. Another fan, too, agreed with MacInnis as they wrote, “I agree with that. He was a monster of a player.”

“I agree 100%, Chop! Long overdue in my opinion. One of the best power forwards, if not the best of our era!!” a third chimed in. After all, Tkachuk is one of the only 10 players who have 500 goals to their names but are yet to get their place in the Hockey Hall of Fame. The list includes names like Jaromir Jagr, Pat Verbeek, and Peter Bondra among past players. In fact, both Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin are also there, although it’s almost certain that they’ll make their way off the list pretty soon.

An argument that surfaced regarding the debate surrounding Keith Tkachuk was that he “Never won a cup.” While some others thought that other candidates should take precedence over him. “Why? Soooooo many more deserving players not in,” wrote one netizen. What do you think? Let us know in the comments.