‘Feel pretty freakin’ good right now’: Tkachuk stoked for return
Posted Nov 28, 2025 01:47:26 PM.
Last Updated Nov 28, 2025 01:47:31 PM.
The Ottawa Senators fanbase must be breathing a sigh of relief with the news that Brady Tkachuk will return to the lineup on Friday against St. Louis.
“I’m not going to lie to you, not a fan of watching (hockey) up there (in the press box),” Tkachuk told the media, via video call, about his emotions during his hiatus due to injury.
And there was no mistaking the fact that Tkachuk was excited to be coming back.
“I feel pretty freakin’ good right now,” he said.
When Tkachuk went down with a thumb injury in the third game of the season against the Nashville Predators on Oct. 13, panic set in, and to some extent rightfully so. Tkachuk is a monster presence who was always going to be irreplaceable.
It was the ultimate test for the Senators. They passed.
“Everybody elevated their standard,” said Tkachuk.
With Tkachuk out, the Senators thrived, with a 11-5-4 record. The Senators will now have the ultimate wingman rejoin their lineup while they’re on a roll.
“Made the recovery a little bit better,” said Tkachuk. “It made my life a lot easier, seeing all the wins.”
With the Senators’ emotional leader and face of the franchise coming back, we are about to find out how good this Ottawa Senators team can be.
They could be great, considering how well they played without him for the last six weeks.
But be mindful of expectations in Game 1.
“Not expecting perfection right away,” said Tkachuk.
Nevertheless, Tkachuk is a unicorn of a hockey player with size, skill and physicality, paired with an infectious personality. He announced his return earlier this week on his new podcast with brother Matthew, star of the Florida Panthers. As far as anyone knows, it marked the first time an NHLer has announced his return on a podcast.
“It’s never something I expected myself to be doing, but since we’ve started, it feels like I was meant to be,” said Tkachuk about his podcast.
One of a kind.
To read the full article on how Tkachuk will elevate the Senators, go to Sportsnet.ca.
