Somewhere in Ottawa, a Sens fan just spit out their coffee.
This week on the Leafs Morning Take podcast, Sens captain Brady Tkachuk said some things about Toronto Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews that you might not expect when describing the leader of Ottawa's most bitter rival.
No, he didn’t chirp Matthews about his mustache or go off on some other trash talking tangent. In fact, he went the other way entirely.
Tkachuk offered nothing but glowing praise for the Leafs superstar, a guy who just helped knock Tkachuk’s Senators out of the playoffs in the first round.
“I’ve known Auston since I think I was 14 or 15,” Tkachuk said. “And he’s always been so good, and he’s just so funny and such a great guy to be around.”
Cue the coffee spitting.
“It was pretty awesome for me to be able to learn from him as a captain, and what makes him himself,” Tkachuk added. “And of course, one of the best players in the NHL."
Um...
"And I was just super impressed with how dialled in he was, and so professional, and how even keeled he was. It almost felt like nothing bothers him.”
What's happening right now?
“He’s just going to go out there, lead by example with his work ethic. And I think a lot of the things that he does go under the radar. He’s such an important piece for a team, and I was just very lucky to be able to learn from him as well.”
Great googily moogily.
In all seriousness, while it may seem unsettling to hear a Sens captain verbally tongue-bathing a Leafs captain, it's right on brand for Tkachuk, who will always default to off-ice respect. On the ice, he's a fierce competitor ready to fight or trample you, or do whatever needs to be done to win. Off the ice, he has positivity and respect for everyone, unless you give him reason not to, of course – looking in your direction, Brendan Lemieux.
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When it comes to Auston Matthews, as Tkachuk mentioned, they do go back a long way. Matthews and Brady's brother, Matthew, are both '97 birth years. They were friends and teammates in the American National Development Program and were drafted first and sixth overall in 2016. Matthew also had some high praise for Matthews, right before he and the Florida Panthers trampled the Leafs in Game 7 this spring.
For a brief time in February, Brady and Matthews were teammates, playing for Team USA at the 4 Nations Faceoff. Matthews wore the “C” and led the Americans to the final, where they fell to Canada.
Brady clearly came away impressed, but their teamwork didn’t last long. A few weeks later, the two were back on opposite sides of the biggest playoff series Ontario has seen in nearly two decades.
The Senators stormed back from a 3–0 deficit to force Game 6 and had the last game tied in the third period. But Toronto shut the door, advancing with a victory and a 4–2 series win in their first series against Ottawa since 2004. The Sens are now 0-for-5 against the Leafs in postseason history.
Matthews, in his first season wearing the “C” for Toronto, played through injuries and still notched 33 goals. Brady was also dinged up down the stretch but still led his club into the playoffs for the first time since 2017.
With both of them healthy for the coming season, they should have some great battles ahead in 2025-26 while, naturally, keeping the off-ice respect high. And who knows? Based on the way Brady played at the 4 Nations, where he was his team's best player, maybe the battles will include who wears the C for Team USA at the Winter Olympics?
By Steve Warne
The Hockey News Ottawa
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