Brady Tkachuk booed in return to Ottawa, scores in Panthers win
The former Senators captain scored a power-play goal in his first game back since being traded to Florida last June.
Explainer
Brady Tkachuk was heavily booed by Ottawa fans and scored a power-play goal in his return to Canadian Tire Centre as a member of the Florida Panthers on Wednesday night.
"I know how I feel about this city, about this fan base, and I’m thankful and appreciative," Tkachuk said before the game. "And no matter what the reaction’s going to be, it’s not going to change how I feel about this city and this fan base."
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The former Senators captain, who requested a trade last June after eight seasons in Ottawa, opened the scoring midway through the first period.
How did fans react to Tkachuk?
Spectators drowned out a video tribute to the former captain with profane chants and boos.
Fans also chanted "We don’t need you!" "Matthew’s better!" and "You betrayed us!" during the game.
Fans cheered when Artem Zub checked Tkachuk on his first shift and he went down.
A number of fans altered their Tkachuk jerseys to express their displeasure.
Season-ticket holder Neil Kennelly and his son Nolan both wore Tkachuk jerseys with an X taped over the captain’s C.
On the back, Nolan had covered Tkachuk’s name with the words "Wingmen is trash," while his father’s jersey read "What has 7 letters and sucks, Wingmen," incorporating Tkachuk’s No. 7 into the message.
"I’m not going to say I was crazy angry or surprised, but you know what? He doesn’t want to be here, don’t let the door hit you on the way out," said Neil. "We want people who want to be here."
Fans also made a punching bag in Tkachuk's likeness.
What did Tkachuk say about his departure?
The 27-year-old said the reasons for his trade request would remain private.
"I’ve talked about it a lot that, you know, there’s professional reasons, personal reasons why I wasn’t going to re-sign here, and a lot of those things have remained private between [Senators GM Steve Staios] and I," Tkachuk said.
"It’s going to remain private. It just happened to work out this way."
Senators owner Michael Andlauer previously suggested Tkachuk’s father, Keith, and brother Matthew influenced his decision to request a trade.
"Yeah, I saw the quote and he’s entitled to his opinion," Tkachuk said. "I know for myself it was 100 per cent my decision. I can make decisions for myself and my family."
Tkachuk said it had been difficult to hear and read speculation surrounding his departure, but added he knew he gave his all in Ottawa.
How did Tkachuk perform entering the game?
Tkachuk entered the game as the NHL’s first star of the week after scoring natural hat tricks in back-to-back games.
He had scored six goals in nine games with the Panthers and had taken 32 shots.
"I tried not to think about it because there were important games before," Tkachuk said of coming back to Ottawa. "Of course, it’s always in the back of my mind. It was when we landed here it kind of hit that now we’re back here, now the excitement, all the emotions came flowing in."
He said he arrived at the rink around 8:30 a.m. and was happy to reconnect with staff members.
What was the context for the game?
Both the Panthers and Senators entered the game with 12 standings points.
Florida arrived riding a three-game winning streak, while the Senators were looking to bounce back from a 3-1 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers.
Panthers coach Paul Maurice said his team should be able to feed off the energy of the situation.
"I think it’s good for us with the extra emotion," Maurice said.
Tkachuk had dinner with several former teammates Tuesday night, but Tim Stutzle wasn’t among them.
"I haven’t seen him," Stutzle said. "I have a chef at home, so I didn’t go for dinner."
Drafted fourth overall in 2018, Tkachuk spent eight seasons with the Senators, including five as captain.
He helped Ottawa return to the playoffs in 2025, ending a seven-year drought.
His relationship with some fans grew strained last season. Tkachuk and his brother Matthew faced criticism over their Wingmen podcast, while Brady’s decision to attend a White House celebration following the U.S. men’s Olympic gold medal also drew backlash.
At the team’s season-ending press conference in April, he acknowledged the rumours had become a distraction, insisting, "I have been fully committed to this team."
Less than two months later, Tkachuk was traded to the Panthers.
The Panthers and Senators are next scheduled to play on April 1.
With files from The Globe and Mail, Yahoo Sports and Florida Hockey Now