Why Brady Tkachuk’s return to Ottawa promises to be emotionally charged

Oct 20, 2026, 7:24 PM ET|Comments (0)

from Sportsnet, by Ryan Dixon,

OTTAWA — Brady Tkachuk ’s finest moment as an Ottawa Senator may have doubled as his final great one with the club.

It was in the immediate aftermath of a Game 4, overtime win against the Toronto Maple Leafs in the first round of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Following a Jake Sanderson goal that kept Ottawa alive in the series, Tkachuk glided across the ice in the middle of a delirious Canadian Tire Centre and exclaimed to the crowd, “We’ll be back!” It was a defiant declaration that, despite being down 3-1 in the series, the Sens would keep scrapping, their chesty captain personally guaranteeing the fight had only just begun.

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