The Ottawa Senators have a coverage problem, and lately it has started to look like a misinformation problem too.
The latest example came in a TSN clip featuring Emily Kaplan discussing how difficult it was for Brady Tkachuk and Connor Hellebuyck to go back to their Canadian teams after winning with USA Hockey at the Olympics. The premise didn’t sit right, especially when Tkachuk gets lumped in with Hellebuyck as if their situations are the same.
That comparison feels thin from the start. Both players are Americans.
Both played in Canadian markets last season. Both requested trades out of those markets.
But that’s where the overlap ends.
Hellebuyck’s case comes with a specific, serious detail. On Thursday, September 17th, Jets GM Kevin Chevyldayoff said Hellebuyck and his family “received threats and online messages” severe enough to involve team security and local police. That context makes it easy to understand why he might want out of Winnipeg.
Tkachuk’s situation, by contrast, gets handled in much vaguer language: face of the franchise, uncomfortable, enemy territory. No concrete explanation.
No clear incident. That makes the comparison feel forced rather than informed.
And it gets worse when the conversation shifts to team success. Since Tkachuk entered the league, the Panthers have had the better run overall.
But last season in particular, the Senators were better than both the Jets and the Panthers. Even with Aleksander Barkov’s injury factored in, Ottawa finished 9th in the league in points, tied for 5th in regulation wins, and 7th in goal differential.
That’s why the broader point here lands so hard. This isn’t just about one awkward segment. It’s part of a pattern.
Kaplan has built a reputation as ESPN’s studio insider and reporter, and she’s known for doing her homework and handling interviews with real care. The clip doesn’t reflect that well, and it doesn’t seem accidental that Ottawa is the team being framed this way.
The same frustration shows up elsewhere, too. On Sportsnet, there have been moments that left Senators fans shaking their heads, including a clip about Tim Stützle missing a game in the 2021-22 season after a knee-on-knee collision with Habs forward Nick Suzuki.
The issue, from the fan side, is simple: people want coverage that at least gets the basics right. Instead, there’s a sense that Ottawa too often gets treated like a team broadcasters can gloss over without doing the work.
That’s why the criticism keeps coming. With broadcasting rights concentrated in fewer hands and local coverage getting thinner, the standard shouldn’t be this low. Fans notice when the research is missing, when the context is missing, and when the team is reduced to lazy talking points.
And that’s the real complaint here. It’s not just that the Senators are getting talked about. It’s that too often, they’re being talked about badly.
In Other News...
Senators Arena Dream Still Alive As Andlauer Frames Bigger Vision
The Senators long-discussed LeBreton Flats arena remains very much on the table, and owner Michael Andlauer is framing it as something far bigger than a new home for hockey. He described the project as a legacy piece for Ottawa, with the kind of city-shaping potential that could reach well beyond game nights and into the broader development of Ottawa and Gatineau.
There are still plenty of moving parts before anything gets built, though, including talks with the National Capital Commission, coordination with city officials and the practical headache of contaminated soil on the site. Andlauer said the organization is intent on getting the process right rather than rushing it, leaving open the possibility that the timeline could stretch if that is what it takes to make the project work. [Read more 🡒]
Senators Open Tough Trip With One Big Issue Hanging Over Vegas
The Senators are kicking off a tough road trip in Vegas, and the opener comes with both teams carrying some familiar early-season uncertainty. The Golden Knights are trying to stop a three-game skid while juggling lineup changes, including the season debuts of Jonas Rndbjerg and Ville Heinola, plus the return of Mitch Marner. Ottawa, meanwhile, is still sorting through its own goaltending and special teams issues as the trip begins.
One of the biggest pieces of context for the Senators is the status of captain Thomas Chabot. He skated in a regular full-contact jersey yesterday and appears to be nearing a return, which is encouraging for a club that could use his minutes and presence on the back end. For now, though, Ottawa has to navigate the start of this trip without him, and against a Vegas team that is looking to steady itself quickly. [Read more 🡒]
Brady Tkachuk Gave Senators Fans One More Reason To Enjoy That Return
Brady Tkachuks return to Ottawa already had the built-in drama you would expect from one of the NHLs most recognizable agitators, and the Senators got an extra little spark out of it. After Tkachuk opened the scoring against his former team, Senators owner Michael Andlauer said the winger skated past the bench and delivered a taunt that did not exactly go unnoticed in the room or in the building.
The reaction from Ottawa was emphatic, with the Senators piling up five straight goals after the early setback and turning the game on its head. Andlauer suggested the comment may have helped fuel the response, which only added another layer to a night that already had a revenge-game feel for fans who still know exactly what Tkachuk brings whenever he steps on the ice. [Read more 🡒]