Senators Fans Have a Message for Brady Tkachuk’s Return
Senators Fans Have a Message for Brady Tkachuk’s Return
When Brady Tkachuk returns to Ottawa next season wearing a Florida Panthers jersey, Senators fans won’t be welcoming him home with open arms. Many are making their feelings clear well ahead of time — and he should expect to be treated like a traitor and a backstabber, not only for bailing on his team and his teammates, but his country.
Tkachuk was traded to Florida in June after requesting a move. Speculation held that he was open to three possible landing spots, but in reality he wanted to play alongside his brother, Matthew. He got his wish, even though it was just weeks earlier that he trotted out in front the Ottawa media and said he was frustrated that everyone kept suggesting he wasn’t committed to they city of Ottawa and the Senators.
No one believed his sob story, and rightfully so. He proved he wasn’t committed at all, and his pivot hasn’t sat well with Ottawa’s fanbase. Reaction across social media and comment sections has been overwhelmingly hostile.
“A warm welcome? No American player who defected from Canadian teams to US-based teams will get a warm welcome,” one fan wrote, adding that “Canadians do not reward disloyalty.”
Others were more pointed about his on-ice reputation, with one commenter predicting he’ll “spend most of his time in the penalty box,” and another dismissing him outright as “just a goon.” Several fans framed the anger less around hockey and more around character, with one writing that Tkachuk will be booed “for your character not for your play while in Ottawa.”
“It’s good he is returned to sender. Just my opinion but was never fond of his demeanor and style of play. His loyalties had to factor in within the locker room.”
Most Fans Are Ready to Give Tkachuk an Earful When He Returns
The sentiment wasn’t universally negative, but it was consistent as other commenters piled on, with jabs ranging from questioning his physical style of play to outright personal attacks on the Tkachuk family. People in Ottawa are bitter, even as many suggest the team is better off without him.
Whether the reception in the arena matches the online rhetoric remains to be seen, but based on early fan response, Tkachuk’s first game back in Ottawa is shaping up to be one of the more charged moments of next season.
