Brady Tkachuk Gets In A Fight Off The Opening Faceoff (Again)

Former Senators captain Brady Tkachuk has never been big on easing his way into a hockey game. As far as he's concerned, the sooner the bull gets into the china shop, the better.

Tkachuk was at it again Sunday as his Florida Panthers faced the Boston Bruins. This time, his dance partner was Bruins defenceman Nikita Zadorov, with the two players dropping the gloves immediately after the opening puck drop.

Tkachuk wasn't done there.

By the end of the second period, he was getting into it again with Zadorov, with both men getting ten minute misconducts. Then with 5:29 to play and the Panthers down by three, Tkachuk took yet another 10 minute misconduct, along with former teammate Mark Kastelic.

Tkachuk not only has a history with Zadorov (more on that in a moment), he also a history of getting in fights before games have even started.

The habit began in February 2025, when Tkachuk was representing Team USA against Canada at the 4 Nations Face-Off in Montreal.

His brother Matthew got things started by fighting Brandon Hagel off the faceoff. On the very next faceoff, Brady followed Matthew (which would start another trend) and squared off with Sam Bennett, giving the teams two fights in the opening three seconds.

Tkachuk later brought the practice to Ottawa.

On March 2026, Tkachuk and then-Islanders captain Anders Lee fought immediately after the opening faceoff. The two captains clearly hadn't settled their differences because they did it again on April 11, this time on Long Island.

Just one week later, Tkachuk took his opening-faceoff routine into the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

In Game 1 of the Senators' first-round series against Carolina, Tkachuk and Hurricanes captain Jordan Staal dropped the gloves just three seconds into the postseason.

The early show of aggression only helped one of the players involved. Carolina swept the series, won the Cup, and Staal was playoff MVP.

That brings us back to Sunday's tilt with Zadorov, who already had a history with Tkachuk dating back to his days as Sens captain. 

During a January 2025 game in Boston, Zadorov was caught on a microphone relentlessly trying to provoke Tkachuk.

"You want to get the crowd going?" Zadorov asked before bringing Tkachuk's brother Matthew into the conversation.

"I didn't know you were a bigger [expletive] than your brother. I thought more of you."

The two eventually got into it in the closing seconds of that game, with both receiving 10 minute misconducts.

On Sunday, they didn't bother waiting nearly as long, and the chef's kiss for Sens fans came at the end of the brawl.

After Tkachuk had fallen to the ice, with Zadorov still standing and trying to land rights, Tkachuk raised a hand to protect his face. A number of Sens fans gleefully screen-grabbed that moment and posted it on social media as the image falsely made it look like Tkachuk was pleading with Zadorov to stop.

Tkachuk and the Panthers lost to Boston, 4-1, as the two teams combined for 126 penalty minutes.

Just another day in the rough waters of the deep Atlantic.

By Steve Warne
The Hockey News