Brady Tkachuk ended a quiet stretch in a hurry Tuesday night, and he did it in a way that made NHL history.
Against the Columbus Blue Jackets, Tkachuk snapped a 10-game point drought by scoring three times in the second period, ripping off a natural hat trick over 8:03. Every one of those goals came with help from his brother, Matthew, who assisted on all three.
Per the NHL, that made them the first brothers to ever do that.
Afterward, Brady acknowledged the dry spell had gotten to him since joining the Panthers. He said he felt like he wasn’t doing his job, but he never lost faith that the scoring would come. Getting that kind of support from Matthew, he said, was “pretty special,” and now it’s on him to start “returning the favor.”
"For sure felt that pressure. … Felt like I wasn't doing my job and wasn't good enough but knew eventually it was going to come."
-Brady Tkachuk after notching a hat trick in his new Panthers threads 🗣️ pic.twitter.com/oNMtROx8En
- ESPN (@espn) October 14, 2026
It was one of those nights that can reset the conversation fast. Ten straight games without a point had started to look like a real concern, but three goals in a single period changes that instantly. Brady has the kind of skill and stubborn edge that makes a scoring burst feel inevitable sooner or later - and Tuesday, sooner arrived.
The result also keeps the Ottawa side of the story impossible to ignore. The Senators are 5-2 to open the season without their former captain, and they’ve done it while scoring 21 goals and allowing 19.
That margin suggests some good fortune, but the record still stands as a strong opening seven games. Ottawa used to lean heavily on Brady for offense and leadership, and now it’s operating more as a committee effort.
That doesn’t mean the Senators won’t feel his absence over the course of the season. His scoring and physical game will matter at times. Still, the front office made the move, and at least in the short term, the results are hard to knock.
The bigger answer on the deal won’t come for a while. Brady has rediscovered the score sheet with Matthew feeding him pucks, while Ottawa has started the year well without him. The real judgment comes later, once the schedule tightens and the Panthers need the move to hold up across a full season.
Florida had extra incentive for Tkachuk to find his game quickly. With Aleksander Barkov and Brad Marchand injured, the Panthers needed him to deliver. If he keeps producing, they’ll be glad they made the trade when they did.
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