Brady Tkachuk booed viciously by Senators fans in return after forcing trade
Amid a shower of deafening boos, Brady Tkachuk flashed a cheeky smile.Once an Ottawa fan favorite, the Senators faithful instead greeted Tkachuk as if he was Public Enemy No.1 in his first game back since requesting a trade before ultimately being shipped to the Panthers in June.It made for a rather awkward scene Wednesday night, with a tribute video instead turning into an outpouring of angry emotions, capped by Tkachuk seemingly embracing the villain role by smiling from ear to ear while he raised his stick in acknowledgment of the reaction.“Were they ruthless?” he joked to a reporter about the reception after scoring Florida’s only goal in a 5-1 road loss.
“It was good, shows the passion that they have.One chapter closed and, like I said, just an exciting, new chapter that we’re living in.
It was nice be in front of that passionate fan base.”Tkachuk, 27, had served as one of Ottawa’s stars for eight years after being drafted fourth overall in the 2018 NHL Draft before a series of events changed his standing with the Ottawa fan base.After the Hurricanes swept the Senators in the first round, Tkachuk, who had signed a seven-year, $57.5 million extension and become team captain, stated publicly his commitment to the franchise.Behind closed doors, though, he asked to be traded and the opportunity arose to play alongside older brother and fellow NHL star Matthew Tkachuk with the Panthers.The Senators ultimately traded him in June for four draft picks, including three first-rounders.He pushed back Wednesday against a notion that he asked for a trade after being urged by his brother and his father Keith, a former NHLer.“There’s professional, personal reasons why I wasn’t going to re-sign here,” he said before Wednesday’s game.“A lot of those things remain private … Just happened to work out this way.”He added: “There was some stuff out there that wasn’t true and I guess questioned where my mind has been at for the last little bit.
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