Brady Tkachuk's Ottawa return is already heating up, with head coach Andrew Campbell's Senators facing backlash over a planned tribute.
Ottawa plans to recognize its former captain with a video tribute when Tkachuk returns to Canadian Tire Centre with the Florida Panthers on October 21.
The decision has drawn a sharp response from broadcaster Sid Seixeiro, who believes the circumstances surrounding Tkachuk's exit make the tribute difficult to justify.
Tkachuk spent his entire NHL career with the Senators before requesting a trade during the offseason. Ottawa eventually sent him to Florida, where he joined his brother Matthew Tkachuk.
The Senators received the No. 9 and No. 25 picks in the 2026 draft, a conditional first-round pick in 2029 and a second-round pick in 2027.
For Seixeiro, the trade request changed how Ottawa should handle Tkachuk's first trip back.
Sid Seixeiro blasts Ottawa's tribute decision
“How many Sens fans are going to be there on October 21st and go home and go, ‘I'm really disappointed that we didn't honor the coward who demanded his way out of town back on June 21st'? Man, this pisses me off. Not everyone deserves the video,” Seixeiro said.
His criticism wasn't aimed at Tkachuk's production in Ottawa. It focused squarely on whether a player who pushed for an exit should receive a celebratory welcome from the organization he left.
Seixeiro then pushed the point even further, arguing Senators fans shouldn't feel obligated to celebrate their former captain.
“They don't care about you. Why do you care about their video? It's pathetic. This stuff has to end across the board in all sports.”
He continued: “Brady Tkachuk was done with you 18 months ago, and you knew it. Do not honor this guy. He's spat in everyone's face. He lied to you on the way out. Don't thank him with a video, please.”
That sets up an uncomfortable scene for Ottawa. A tribute normally gives fans a chance to acknowledge a former cornerstone, but the reaction inside the building could be far more divided this time.
Tkachuk's return also carries another layer because he'll arrive wearing Panthers colors alongside Matthew Tkachuk, turning what could have been a routine tribute into one of Ottawa's most emotionally charged early-season dates.
The Senators now have weeks to deal with the debate, but the message from Seixeiro couldn't be clearer: a long tenure alone shouldn't automatically guarantee a warm welcome back.
Should the Senators cancel Brady Tkachuk's video tribute?
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