Brady Tkachuk skated onto the ice at the Canadian Tire Centre on Wednesday for the first time since forcing his way out of the Ottawa Senators, and the building had done its homework.
“Brady sucks” came first, before the puck had even dropped. From there it escalated into an inventory of grievances.
“F*** you, Brady.” “Traitor.” “We don’t need you.” “You’re a sellout.” “You betrayed us.” “Overrated.” “Matthew’s better.” “You can’t read.” “Who’s your daddy?” “You eat crayons.” And, pointedly, a chant aimed squarely at the podcast he had used to announce his plans for any jerseys thrown on the ice.
The club put together a video tribute. Supporters drowned it out with profanity.
Why are Senators fans so angry at Brady Tkachuk?
Ottawa drafted him fourth overall in 2018, made him captain, and watched him become the face of the franchise across eight seasons, including the run that ended a seven-year playoff drought in 2025. Less than two months after that, he told management he wouldn’t re-sign when his deal expires in 2028 and used his no-movement clause to force a move to Florida to play with his brother Matthew Tkachuk.
Speaking before the game on Wednesday, he cited both personal and professional reasons for not wanting to stay.
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Tkachuk, for his part, looked like he was enjoying himself. He raised his stick during the tribute and waved at the crowd with the grin he’s had since he was 18. Supporters cheered when Artem Zub put him down on his first shift, and he responded by scoring the opening goal of the game on the power play, which can’t have helped the mood.
This isn’t new territory for him either. Toronto fans spent an entire playoff game chanting “Brady sucks” at him in 2025, and his response then was that he couldn’t care less.
The hockey eventually went Ottawa’s way. The Senators won 5-1, with Sam Bennett taking a slashing penalty after a scuffle between Tkachuk and Ridly Greig, and a playoff atmosphere in a building that doesn’t usually see one in October.
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