Not long after their sweep in the opening round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs at the hands of the eventual Stanley Cup champion Carolina Hurricanes, the Ottawa Senators were hit with the news that captain Brady Tkachuk wanted to be dealt.
Tkachuk got his wish when he was traded to the divisional rival Florida Panthers, giving him a chance to team up with his brother Matthew Tkachuk, who previously helped the Panthers advance to three straight Stanley Cup Final appearances, winning twice.
As fate would have it, Senators fans won’t have to wait long to see Tkachuk return to Ottawa in opposition colors, as the Panthers travel to Canadian Tire Centre for a late October matchup.
What Kind Of Reception Will Brady Tkachuk Receive From Ottawa Senators Fans?
For Tkachuk, he’s naturally already looking forward to the matchup as well as seeing what kind of reception that he’ll get from the fans that once cheered him.
According to the former Ottawa captain, he’s prepared for whatever comes his way.
“I don’t really have an expectation,” he said via The Daily Faceoff. “I’m just gonna be excited to get back there. I know how special that place is to me, and it’d be nice to see a lot of people I met in the community, my teammates, all the staff, just be able to see them. It’s nice that it’s early on in the season, but there’s a lot of important games leading up to that.
“Whatever [the reaction] is, it just shows how great of a fan base it is. If it’s negative, it just shows how passionate the fans are and i enjoyed playing in front of them and how special it was. And if it’s positive, then I’m just really grateful for my time there. I’m not sure what to expect. I’m just excited to go back there and see a lot of people that I care about.”
Former Ottawa Senators Captain Fires Back At What He Calls Untrue Rumors
Tkachuk also pushed back on rumors that he, along with several of his Team USA teammates, began orchestrating exit strategies from their respective NHL clubs.
“We never discussed our individual situations or individual teams,” Tkachuk said. “When we went to Team USA, it was just a great group of guys – a special group – and there was never any talk about our respective teams and our cities. It was just that when we got to USA, it was all about USA. I’ve seen a lot of that stuff on social media. The group chat had nothing to do with the trade. It was more thanking ‘Helly’ for that performance he had.”
“I think there’s also a lot of narratives and information out there that aren’t completely true,” he said. “But just a lot of time, a lot of reflection. And it wasn’t an easy decision. It was a really hard decision and something that was emotional. It took a lot of time to get to that. For me now, the decision is made and there’s a lot to be excited about in Florida with the team that we had.”
Brady Tkachuk Fires Back At False Rumors With Message To Senators Fans