Ahead of Game 1 between the Ottawa Senators and Toronto Maple Leafs, Brady Tkachuk made a big admission about the advice he received from his brother, Matthew, and father, Keith Tkachuk, for his postseason debut in the NHL.

© Minas Panagiotakis/Getty ImagesBrady Tkachuk #7 of the Ottawa Senators skates during the third period against the Montreal Canadiens at the Bell Centre on October 12, 2024 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The Montreal Canadiens defeated the Ottawa Senators 4-1.

It took seven seasons in the NHL, but Brady Tkachuk and the Ottawa Senators are finally back in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Fittingly, their first playoff series since 2017 will be against none other than their despised rivals, the Toronto Maple Leafs. Ahead of the Battle of Ontario in the First Round, the Sens’ captain revealed what his brother, Matthew Tkachuk, and father, Keith Tkachuk, taught him about competing for Lord Stanley.

The Senators are arguably the most motivated team heading into the Stanley Cup Playoffs. After a grueling seven-season postseason hiatus, the fanbase in Ottawa is ecstatic to be playing for the Cup again — and the roster has certainly taken notice.

In an already anxious locker room, it was Captain Tkachuk who felt the pressure the most — especially after watching his older brother, Matthew, guide the Florida Panthers to back-to-back Stanley Cup Finals, finally hoisting Lord Stanley last season. Matthew’s feat rightfully cemented the Tkachuk family name where Keith couldn’t, providing a fitting final chapter to the story.

However, once the first Cup is won, everybody wants to taste the second, and Brady is looking to follow in his brother’s footsteps, making his family — and an entire city — proud. Ahead of Game 1 at Scotiabank Arena, where the Leafs await, Brady Tkachuk shared the advice he received from his family.

Matthew Tkachuk lifts the Stanley Cup over his head after the Florida Panthers defeated the Edmonton Oilers in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final on June 24, 2024.

“Just enjoy every moment, the highs and lows, whatever the playoff series has in tail for us — just enjoy it,” Brady Tkachuk said in conversation with the NHL on TNT crew. “It’s a long way to go to get to some of [Matthew and Keith’s] numbers, but it’s just surreal that it’s here.

Senators’ Brady Tkachuk sends clear message after cautious return before Stanley Cup Playoffs

“I just can’t wait, it’s been a dream of mine ever since I was a kid to be in the playoffs, and [for it] to be in a Battle of Ontario, what’s better than that?“

Regular season means nothing

The Senators have swept the regular season series against the Maple Leafs in the 2024-25 NHL season, in addition to their 6-1 record over the last two campaigns. However, those marks will have little to no traction as the playoffs get underway.

Playoff hockey is a different beast, and the Sens-Leafs series may feature the most polarized matchup in the East. While Toronto has been branded by their recent postseason failures, Ottawa’s roster carries little playoff experience.

The pressure is mostly on the Maple Leafs, but that doesn’t ease the nerves in the Senators’ room, where fans have waited — patiently, and at times not so much — to see meaningful spring hockey for the past eight years.