It’s going to be nothing short of a rowdy atmosphere on Oct. 21 at Canadian Tire Centre, as the Ottawa Senators will host former captain Brady Tkachuk and the divisional rival Florida Panthers for a game that fans everywhere likely won’t soon regret.
As you know, Tkachuk was traded to the Panthers earlier this offseason after it was revealed by GM Steve Staios that he’d requested to be moved.
He won’t have to wait long before he makes his first appearance back in the venue he called home since 2018 wearing opposition colors, and the prevailing sentiment is that fans are likely to give him a chilly reception.
However, the club reportedly plans on playing a video tribute for Tkachuk to thank him for what he accomplished during his first several years with the club, according to Senators Insider Bruce Garrioch.
“Cyril Leeder says the plan is to do a video tribute for Brady Tkachuk on Oct. 21,” Garrioch wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Brady Tkachuk Was Traded From The Ottawa Senators To The Panthers
Tkachuk was dealt from the Senators to the Panthers, where he joins forces with his brother Matthew Tkachuk; both brothers helped Team USA pick up an upset win over Canada earlier this winter in the gold medal game of the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, Italy.
However, Tkachuk seemed unhappy with a question about his future in Ottawa not long after he and the Senators were eliminated in the opening round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs by the eventual Cup-winning Carolina Hurricanes.
“I feel like I’ve answered this hundreds of times,” Tkachuk said in April when asked about his future in Ottawa. “None of those things ever came out of my mouth. Quite honestly, it’s just getting frustrating. It’s becoming a distraction. I have been fully committed to this team, to this city, and it’s just become a distraction and frustrating to deal with.”
However, questions about his future in Ottawa were answered when he was traded to the Panthers.
The Senators Don’t Intend On Taking A Step Backward
Despite trading their captain, Senators GM Steve Staios insisted that it doesn’t mean his club intends on taking a step backward in the upcoming season.
“I don’t want anybody to be misled,” Staios said shortly after the trade. “I think you see the transaction, the picks coming back, you wonder which direction the team is going. I want to be clear: I don’t intend on taking a step back with this group.”
Senators Reveal Plans For Brady Tkachuk’s Return To Ottawa