Brady Tkachuk embraced the overwhelming hostility he faced in his first game back in Ottawa, where fans greeted the former Senators captain with constant boos. He had requested a trade last spring and was moved to the Florida Panthers in a June blockbuster, an acrimonious split that followed his public pledge of commitment to the franchise made just weeks earlier.
From the moment Tkachuk stepped onto the ice, the Senators faithful made their feelings known, booing him during warmups and each time he handled the puck. Chants of "Brady sucks!" rang out before the anthems, and more creative jeers followed once play began. Even a routine check from Senators defenseman Artem Zub drew a spirited response. Tkachuk, smiling widely, lifted his stick to acknowledge the crowd, treating their animosity as if it were cheering.
Tkachuk gave Florida a 1-0 lead with a first-period power-play goal, celebrating with his arms raised to the sky and relishing his villain role. He later landed in the penalty box after a scrap with former teammate Nick Cousins, which reignited the crowd. Senators forward Tim Stutzle answered on the power play to tie the game 1-1 after 20 minutes.
Tkachuk had two years left on his seven-year, $57.5 million contract when he approached Ottawa's front office about leaving, days after the Senators were swept by the Carolina Hurricanes in the first round. Fresh off Olympic gold with Team USA and eager to join his brother Matthew in Florida, he waived his full no-movement clause to make the move happen.
Source: ESPN NHL · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing