Florida Panthers left wing Matthew Tkachuk (19) and left wing Brady Tkachuk (8) watch from the bench during the third period of an NHL hockey game against the Vancouver Canucks, Thursday, Oct. 15, 2026, in Sunrise, Fla. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

KANATA — A Wednesday night game in October wouldn't normally attract much attention for the Ottawa Senators. But this one is different.

Former captain Brady Tkachuk has returned to Ottawa as a member of the Florida Panthers, four months after requesting a trade from the only NHL team he'd ever known.

Drafted fourth overall in 2018, Tkachuk spent eight seasons with the Senators, including five as captain. A fan favourite for much of his tenure, he helped Ottawa return to the playoffs in 2025, ending a seven-year drought.

But 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.

Speculation about Tkachuk's future in Ottawa intensified late last season. 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.

"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 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."

Senators players acknowledged it would be strange seeing their former captain on the opposing side and expected a mixed reaction from fans.

"It's obvious, there's been a lot of chatter about it," forward Drake Batherson said. "There's been chatter, I think, since the schedule came out. So, no, I think it's a big game for both teams. Obviously, divisional game, so I think the competitiveness and all that will already be there just 'cause it's a big game."

Stutzle, however, downplayed the significance of the matchup. He acknowledged the playoff-like atmosphere and passion of Ottawa fans, but stressed that the two points at stake were what mattered most.

"We're just going to focus on our game and do what we have to do," he said.

Tkachuk got off to a slow start this season but entered the game as the NHL's first star of the week after scoring natural hat tricks in back-to-back games.

Tkachuk said he arrived at the rink around 8:30 a.m. and was happy to reconnect with staff members and others he had grown close to during his eight seasons in Ottawa.

The 27-year-old admitted he hasn't given much thought to how emotional his return might be, but is looking forward to seeing the fans who supported him and his family throughout his eight seasons in Ottawa.

"I've had so many great memories here that will last forever," Tkachuk said. "And I don't know what the exact emotion is going to be, but I just know how thankful and appreciative I am for everything that's happened the last eight years."

Tkachuk said it had been difficult to hear and read speculation surrounding his departure, but added he knew he gave his all in Ottawa and that any negative reaction from fans wouldn't change how he felt about the city.

"I know how I feel about this city, about this fanbase, and I'm thankful and appreciative," he said. "And no matter what the reaction's going to be, it's not going to change how I feel about this city and this fanbase."

Florida (5-2-2) arrived in Ottawa riding a three-game winning streak, while the Senators (6-3-0) were looking to bounce back from a 3-1 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday.

Ottawa captain Thomas Chabot remains out with an upper-body injury, but fellow defenceman Jake Sanderson was set to return to the lineup after missing eight games. Sanderson played just 4:29 in the season opener before leaving with a lower-body injury.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 21, 2026.

News from © The Canadian Press, 2026