Drake Batherson and Tim Stützle both laughed off Brad Marchand's viral social media taunts last week.
Speaking from the Rideau View Golf Club in Manotick on Tuesday in support of the Senators Community Foundation and their work with the children and youth in the Ottawa/Gatineau region, Senators forward Drake Batherson addressed Florida Panthers forward Brad Marchand’s comments.
The Panthers’ winger went viral for his reaction to an Instagram story indicating that Thomas Chabot, Jake Sanderson, and Tim Stützle were prospective candidates for the Senators’ vacant captaincy.
"Hahahah ... Stutzle ... hahaha,” Marchand wrote.
Given Batherson's relationship with his Nova Scotia neighbour and offseason training partner, the right winger was asked whether he had reached out to Marchand over his post.
“I texted him,” Batherson recalled after a laugh. “I said, ‘Marshy, what are you doing?’ No, that's just Marshy. He's been doing that for years, and I told Timmy. It's all good.”
Stützle was asked about the post, but the centre elected to take the high road.
“I don't really care, to be honest,” Stützle expressed indifferently. “I don't care about that at all. Drake was calling me right after that. It's his neighbour, so... He's a great player. That's what he's trying to do, get in other guys' heads, and I respect him as a player.
"So I’m not too worried about it at all, to be honest.”
The Senators and Panthers will face off on October 21st at the Canadian Tire Centre in Brady Tkachuk’s return to Ottawa.
By Graeme Nichols
The Hockey News
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