Senators owner Michael Andlauer says Brady Tkachuk gave Ottawa a little extra fuel when he returned to Canadian Tire Centre last Wednesday.
Speaking Tuesday on the Coming in Hot podcast, Andlauer said Tkachuk said something to the Senators’ bench after opening the scoring in the first period, and the remark stuck with the group in a very specific way.
“Some things never change, eh boys?”
That’s the line Andlauer says Tkachuk tossed toward his former teammates after scoring for the Florida Panthers in his first game back in Ottawa.
Tkachuk’s return had already been a loud one. Senators fans booed him from pregame warmup all the way until he exited late in the third period with a double minor penalty. And because he still had two years left on his contract when he asked for a trade, the reception was never going to be gentle.
But Andlauer’s story added another layer to the night. After Tkachuk’s goal, he apparently skated by the Senators’ bench and chirped the players he had left behind while reminding them of his scoring touch.
The result, as it turned out, went the other way entirely. Ottawa poured in five unanswered goals and rolled to a 5-1 win, turning Tkachuk’s homecoming into a nightmare for his new team.
Andlauer said the comment didn’t really light a fire under the Senators, at least not in the way Tkachuk might have hoped.
“I don't think that (comment) motivated our players much,” Andlauer said sarcastically, with a smile.
Even then, the note of familiarity wasn’t exactly off the mark. Tkachuk was still drawing undisciplined penalties and chewing on his mouthguard throughout the game, a look and a habit that didn’t exactly surprise anyone watching. Some things never change.
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