Keith ‘Big Walt’ Tkachuk Announces Retirement
After playing in 1,200 games in parts of 19 season in the NHL, Keith ‘Big Walt’ Tkachuk announced that this will be his last season in the National Hockey League and is choosing to hang up his skates.
Keith Tkachuk is set to retire at th end of this season.
He chooses to retire as a St. Louis Blue. Playing in parts of 9 years in the Gateway To the West, Tkachuk has found St. Louis to be home. He spends almost all his time in St. Louis and it wouldn’t surprise me if Walt finds his home in this city even after his retirement.
After plenty of speculation that Tkachuk would be traded the last two trade deadline, first it was rumors of Tkachuk and Perron to Boston for Phil Kessel, and this year, Tkachuk to Boston for a pick, but this was just speculation, rumors.
But Big Walt remained with the Blues to make an incredible playoff push with St. Louis last season, going from 15th to 6th to make the post season with the best record in the second half of the season. After a four game sweep at the hands of the Vancouver Canucks, the Blues went into the off-season, disappointed and looking towards the next season.
With high expectations, the Blues started slow, continued slow, and going into January, sat towards the bottom of the league. Not where they we’re expecting themselves to be. Tkachuk had a set back in his game after taking a puck to the mouth, losing four teeth missing a bit of time due to injury.
Tkachuk shows off his missing teeth.
After continuous losing, Blues president, John Davidson had to fire head coach Andy Murray. In return, the Blues brought in Davis Payne, the head coach of the Peoria Rivermen.
The Blues got on a run, gaining ground, slowly but surely towards eighth place.
The Blues entered the Olympic Break on a three game winning streak, lastly beating the leagues best team, the Washington Capitals.
With three Blues players participating in the Olympics, David Backes, Erik Johnson, and Roman Polak. It gave the rest of the Blues a chance to rest. This including Keith Tkachuk who was suffering from a injury to his pinky. After believing it would recover over the break, he needed surgery to fix his injury after it did not heal. Missing some time after this, Tkachuk still has had a successful season, recording 30 points (13 goals, 17 assists) over a 66 game span thus far this season.
But it was tonight, during the FSN broadcast, Tkachuk joined the FSN crew and announced that it was after this season ends, Tkachuk would hang up his skates and retire, as a St. Louis Blue.
Tkachuk with the Winnipeg Jets.
Tkachuk spent time as a Winnipeg Jet, Phoenix Coyotes, Atlanta Thrashers, and the St. Louis Blues.
After an illustrious and successful career, Tkachuk will retire.
In 1,200 NHL games, Tkachuk has scored 538 goals, 525 assists for 1,063 points. Some question if this will be enough for a Hall Of Fame induction, or if the Blues will retire Walts number seven, but this will only be known with time.
So to Walt, congratulations for a successful career, and I hope that you have the greatest life possible. Thank you for entertaining all us fans for so many years and hope for a long and healthy life outside of the game of hockey.
Randall Ritchey
randallritchey@gmail.com
