Ottawa Senators Captain Brady Tkachuk: 'The Emotion Of The Game Is A Strength And A Flaw (Of Mine)'

Like much of the weather this past week, it is a cold and drizzly morning outside the Canadian Tire Centre. Losers of four straight games and in desperate need of a win, the pathetic fallacy in the nation's capital is on full display. Even the Senators' engaging and talkative parking attendant, Larry, doesn't have much to say that morning.

The Senators' failure to capture points during an extended homestand has caused the team to slide down the standings and bolstered the narrative regarding this franchise's November struggles.

Nobody wears the team's struggles more than its captain, Brady Tkachuk.

Following the final horn in Thursday night's 3-2 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights, Tkachuk was the last Senator on the ice. Facing his bench and facing the tunnel leading to the dressing room, Tkachuk's arms extended up as he held his stick with both hands behind his head.

It was a striking visual of the visibly frustrated leader after another third-period pushback was too late.

Tkachuk wants this badly because he feels they are on the verge of deciphering the code to unlock the Senators' true potential.

"As close as it gets, "Tkachuk explained from the bowels of the Canadian Tire Centre. "I feel we have that answer in that room.

"It's a belief we have and know we can do it. We are going to do it. (That photographed moment) is just the emotion of the game, which is a strength and a flaw (of mine). I have to continue to work on that burden, trust my teammates, and know that we have what it takes to get it done."

That burden would be on full display later that evening. As his Senators listlessly played through another game, Tkachuk tried to rally his group in the third period with his physicality. Facing a 4-1 deficit with six and a half minutes to go, play was whistled down. As Tkachuk headed towards his bench for a change, Joshua Dakota deliberately skated into him to initiate a confrontation.

Tkachuk received a five-minute major for fighting and a 10-minute misconduct for his involvement, which spurred criticisms on social media for his repeated willingness to drop the gloves when games are seemingly out of reach.

It is easy to see that these losses and the threat of another dismal November have weighed heavily on Tkachuk, but he continues to believe that there is light at the end of the tunnel.

"Yeah, I want to say frustrated," explained Tkachuk. "We all want it so badly. I know for me and my mindset, for all of the bad bounces, if we put in the work, everything gets rewarded.

"You always get rewarded for your hard work. I don't really look into analytics that much, but if the (defensive) numbers are good, then everything should turn around and come in our favour. If you're not getting the bounces now, you'll get the bounces down the road."

It is difficult to fault Tkachuk's optimism. Holding onto the hope for a better future is all he has known since arriving in Ottawa.

As a draft-eligible player in 2018, Tkachuk knew little about the city. Unlike other prospects who had the opportunity to visit Ottawa while playing in a youth hockey tournament, Tkachuk's first visit occurred after the NHL Combine. Senators management and staff took the Boston University product to Moxie's in Kanata for lunch.

Although Tkachuk did not have much firsthand experience with the city, his knowledge of the Senators' situation was more extensive. Their on and off-ice struggles and inability to stay out of the news cycle made it difficult not to pay attention.

"It was hard not to know what was going on beforehand and with everything kind of circulating," explained Tkachuk. "I'm going to be honest with you, looking back at it, I haven't thought about it in a while, but that was definitely of interest.

"I think all the players had gone to the draft knowing what was going on and what would come after. So, I'd be lying to say it wasn't just on my mind, but on all the draftees' minds as well."

When the Senators made Brady the fourth overall selection in the 2018 NHL Draft, the forward went into full reconnaissance mode. Being represented by his uncle Craig Oster, who had clients on the Senators, certainly helped, but Tkachuk's first experience with distraction occurred early on at camp when Erik Karlsson was moved in a blockbuster trade with San Jose.

"To be honest, I was so naive to the fact that I really had no idea what was going on," Tkachuk recalled. "I was just happy that I signed and was able to be a part of this organization. I wanted to make the team, and that was the only focus I had.

"I remember skating with (Karlsson) the day before camp, and then he gets traded the day of camp, and I feel like that was my first of like, 'Oh wow, this is the NHL. Trades happen. This is crazy.' (The trade) was the talk in the NHL for the next little bit, but I feel like I went back to being so naive that my sole focus was just being able to make the team and be an impact on the team."

Tkachuk described his rookie season as overwhelming. Coming from the U.S. National Team Development Program and Boston University, the volume of games and shorter recovery periods was a massive adjustment for the teenager. He credited Mark Stone as being instrumental in easing his transition to the NHL. The popular right winger asked Tkachuk to live with him and served as a mentor.

"Once I got drafted and went to a development camp, Mark Stone was living here at the time," Tkachuk said. "He took me out for dinner to get to know me and helped get me to see the city a little bit. I'll always remember that and how he made me feel welcome."

"There are so many guys on that team that made me feel welcome right from day one, but the things that stuck out about Stoney is, first, welcoming me to his home and being a part of his family for a bit."

It is a lesson that Tkachuk took to heart and has utilized himself. As the Senators' rebuild continued and veterans were auctioned off, Tkachuk felt obligated to return the favour and pay it forward.

"What I've taken from that (experience) is trying to welcome in the new guys, the young kids, as quickly as I can because, of course, there's a history of no veterans and helping out rookies. The quicker you can implement a rookie or young kid, the more confident and comfortable they'll get, and the better they'll be on the ice. But also, the more at home they'll feel, and that's the most important part of it all."

As Tkachuk's bond with Stone grew, management's failure to reach a contract extension with Stone significantly impacted the young player.

"It was pretty emotional for the both of us," Tkachuk reflected. "We were in the gym when he told me the teams they were down to. I was hoping (management) would miraculously find a way to get (an extension) done here, but it obviously hurt to lose such a good friend like that and a person I love being around day in and day out."

On-ice and off-ice distractions plagued the organization throughout Tkachuk's entry-level contract, so much so that it fuelled concerns that Brady could follow in his brother's footsteps. When Matthew finished his entry-level contract with Calgary, he was 21 years old, the same age as Brady.

Rather than sign a long-term extension with the Flames, Matthew inked a three-year bridge deal to bring him within a year of unrestricted free agency. As a restricted free agent with only one year of team control before his unrestricted free agent rights kicked in, the Flames faced a decision where they could sign the player to a one-year deal and allow him to hit the open market or trade him and recoup as many assets as they could. They opted for the latter.

Given how close the Tkachuk family is, it is not surprising to hear or read people draw conclusions regarding the Tkachuks' aspirations and goals. This past offseason, the situation reared its head when American analysts repeatedly suggested that another lost season could lead to Brady's request for a trade.

"It's outside noise," Brady explained when talking about these outside opinions. "The people that bring that up don't really know the ins and outs of knowing us as people or the decisions and thought processes of what we want.

"We're two completely different people. We've had two different paths to where we're at. We're on the right path for ourselves. Everything happens for a reason. Matthew's path happened because it was meant to be. I'm on my path right now. It is meant to be. It's a little bit of both where not many people are in my brain and know (my aspirations) and Matthew's brain as well (to understand) why they've happened."

The interesting wrinkle is that the 2025 offseason would have represented Brady Tkachuk's first opportunity to test unrestricted free agency. After signing a seven-year extension worth $57.56 million, he will instead reach unrestricted free agency at the end of the 2027-28 season when he is 28 years old.

So, why did Brady Tkachuk re-sign when the team was unsuccessful, the Senators' ownership situation was muddied, and the prospect of building a downtown arena kept getting pushed down the road?

It had nothing to do with the prospect of leadership or being the face of a Canadian market team.

"That didn't really factor into my decision," Tkachuk explained. "It was more the belief that I have in the pieces that we have, what you're trying to build, what we're trying to do, and what you're still trying to do.

"I still have that belief. It never really crossed my mind to sign for seven years and try to be the captain or the face. Everything happens for a reason, and it happens naturally. I didn't want to change myself to sign a seven-year deal. I'm happy with the decision that I made and I'm happy with the path."

Tkachuk indicated that short-term talks were never heavily discussed because both sides wanted a long-term deal.

"The reason why I wanted to do long term is because I believe in the group that we had. At that time, it was Timmy Stützle's second year. Drake (Batherson) and Josh (Norris) were starting to become the players they were becoming. We also drafted a couple guys like (Jake Sanderson), Ridley (Greig) and (Tyler Kleven). I knew the pieces were there and the pieces were coming. That's the reason why I signed long term. I believed in and I still do believe in what we're doing here, what we're trying to accomplish. I do believe we have the right pieces in here to get it done."

Tkachuk's decision also laid a foundational blueprint for these young players to follow.

"I think it shows commitment and I want to be here and help this team win. The next negotiations that followed, they wanted to show that same commitment. So, it says a lot about the people we have in that room, the belief that we have for each other and what we want to accomplish for each other."

This is Tkachuk's seventh season with the Senators. All he has known is the drama and frustration that comes with being a young captain on a rebuilding franchise that, for the most part, has suffered from a significant leadership vacuum. Considering the added emotional and leadership burdens that get placed on him during a pivotal time in his development, it is impressive that he is espousing optimism now.

Then again, this is just a five-game losing streak. After all that he has endured, this is nothing.

"In those tough times, all you can really do is control your work ethic and be a good teammate. That's what I can try focusing on and not being anybody other than myself.

"For me, it's just trusting what we're doing here, trust myself and trust in the path that I'm on. Everything happens for a reason. Everything works out."