Former Ottawa Senators captain Brady Tkachuk is returning to the Canadian Tire Centre on Wednesday night for the first time since asking for a trade out of the city.
Now a Florida Panther alongside his brother and podcast co-host Matthew, Tkachuk is returning to a fanbase feeling raw from the departure of yet another beloved Sen.
His old teammates are expecting a high-intensity crowd.
“It’s probably as close to a playoff game as you can get in October, so it’s gonna be fun. I think we’re really looking forward to it. I’m assuming that he’ll be amped up to play,” said Sens forward Nick Cousins.
Cousin said he’s expecting a fun atmosphere, but said there hasn’t been much speculation among his teammates on the kind of reception Tkachuk will receive.
“Brady is not really a topic of conversation in the dressing room really, we haven’t really talked about it all,” he said.
The 6-3-0 Sens are keeping pace with the 5-2-2 Panthers despite losing Tkachuk.
After spending his first eight NHL seasons in a Senators jersey, Tkachuk asked to be moved south so he could play with his brother — and on a team regularly favored to win the Stanley Cup.
Head Coach Travis Green also didn’t want to guess what kind of reception Tkachuk would receive, but said he expects it to be a game filled with emotion.
“There always is when a player of that magnitude first comes back,” he said.
Ahead of puck drop, Tkachuk is expected to meet with Ottawa reporters for the first time at the Canadian Tire Centre since the summer trade.
On the Tuesday episode of his Wingmen podcast, Tkachuk said it’s a game that has long been circled on his calendar.
He joked with his brother about skipping the pre-game meal in Ottawa to avoid a disgruntled fan from sabotaging his return with food poisoning, but said he was excited to return.
“I’ve made so many special relationships, not just with my teammates over the years, but like some of my best friends are like the trainers and the staff members, and they just have such amazing people that make that organization tick,” he said.
He also committed to donating any Sens jerseys tossed on the ice by upset fans to the Boys and Girls Club of Ottawa, telling anyone listening: “I don’t recommend doing it.”
