An era for the Ottawa Senators came to an end in stunning fashion last month, as they traded longtime captain Brady Tkachuk to the Florida Panthers in one of the offseason’s most surprising moves.
Tkachuk, who was taken in the first round (fourth overall) of the 2018 NHL Draft by Ottawa, developed into the face of the franchise during his time with the organization, eventually earning the captaincy before being dealt to a division rival.
The blockbuster trade also sets up a reunion between Brady and his older brother, Matthew Tkachuk. Matthew has been a cornerstone of the Panthers since arriving from the Calgary Flames in a high-profile trade in 2022, helping lead Florida to three consecutive Stanley Cup Final appearances and back-to-back titles in 2024 and 2025.
For Ottawa, it leaves them significantly weaker than before, and many are questioning whether they’ll be able to return to the Stanley Cup Playoffs for what would be a third straight year. And now, a former teammate of Tkachuk’s is coming forward to discuss his departure.
Jordan Spence Discusses Brady Tkachuk’s Departure From The Ottawa Senators
Senators defenseman Jordan Spence, who spent only one season as Tkachuk’s teammate, became the first Ottawa player to openly discuss the departure of the now-former captain.
Making an appearance on “The Coming In Hot” podcast, Spence acknowledged that while Tkachuk’s departure was difficult to see, it perhaps meant that he didn’t have the kind of belief in his teammates that the rest of the dressing room has.
“It is tough,” Spence said in late July. “I think all the guys on our team, we have belief in each other. We really do believe that we have a good team when we play our game and play to our identity. Whenever a guy like that leaves, it does hurt. Maybe there’s other reasons why he wanted to leave, but there’s also other reasons (like) maybe not having the belief that we all have as a team.”
Meanwhile, Spence believes that ultimately, the club will be stronger in the future.
“When it comes down to it, I think that it’s going to make us better,” he said. “It’s a big loss, but, you know, we’ve got to move on, and we still have a great team, and we’re really excited for what’s ahead.”
Brady Tkachuk’s Podcast Reportedly Caused A Rift In Ottawa’s Dressing Room
Not long after Tkachuk was traded, NHL Insider Elliotte Friedman reported that there was an alleged rift in Ottawa’s room because of Tkachuk’s “Wingmen” podcast with Matthew.
“The Tkachuk thing, we talked about this at length, and it was time to end the noise around the whole situation. As we talked about in a previous pod, post-Olympics, it was time. A lot was going on, and the players were tired of it,” Friedman said.
“One of the players said the only thing he felt that we should have added was the podcast. And he said the podcast caused some problems, and it was just time. It’s better for the Senators just to end the noise,” he said.
Senators Teammate Finally Breaks Silence On Brady Tkachuk Trade