Kraken's Brandon Tanev shares his thoughts on sibling Chris Tanev joining Maple Leafs

By Abhilasha Aditi

Modified Jul 16, 2024 14:28 GMT

Brandon Tanev and his brother Chris Tanev were both born in Toronto, Canada and share a deep connection with the city. Ahead of the 2024–25 season, Chris was traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Brandon shared his excitement about brother Chris signing with the Leafs. At the Zach Hyman Celebrity Classic, Brandon said it's great for their family since Chris is a hometown boy.

“With Chris being back home now, it’s very exciting for my family and him, so it’s great to see him put on a Leafs’ jersey being a hometown boy, It’s exciting, it’s one of those things where you, as a kid growing up in Toronto, everyone dreams about it and now his has come to reality,” Brandon said via TSN).

Brandon noted the added pressure of playing in Toronto but believes Chris will handle it well.

“Yeah, it’s gonna be, I’m sure difficult at times, but at the same time, he’s a professional, he takes care of himself, and he understands what it’s going to be like playing in front of his home town. So, he’s very excited for this amazing opportunity and I’m sure he’s looking forward to the season starting,” Brandon added.

Chris Tanev, an undrafted college standout, played for Vancouver before. Brandon remembered their competitive childhood and was thrilled for Chris.

“So, we chatted about it and you know, I’ve been through it before, it’s a busy time obviously, and you want to give your brother space to let him go through things. So you know, when he told me that he was going to be signing in Toronto I was so happy for him,” Brandon said.

Meanwhile, Brandon is in the last season of his contract, earning $3.5 million against the cap.

Chris Tanev on joining the Toronto Maple Leafs

Chris Tanev signed a six-year contract with the Maple Leafs worth $4.5 million annually. He is expected to pair with Morgan Rielly on the Leafs’ top defensive line.

Tanev understands his role on the team, focusing on defense and penalty kills. He expects to face top players, aiming to prevent scoring opportunities.

"I'm going to take a lot of d-zone faceoffs against other teams' top players. I'm going to PK a lot, and that's just sort of what my role in the league has evolved into," Tanev said (via TheLeafsNation).

The Kraken play the Leafs in Toronto on October 31, which will be special for the Tanev family.