Brady Tkachuk sent the wrong message to open playoffs for Senators

Ottawa Senators left wing Brady Tkachuk (7) and Carolina Hurricanes center Jordan Staal (11) fight during the first period in game one of the first round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Lenovo Center. James Guillory-Imagn Images

Brady Tkachuk sent the wrong message to open playoffs for Senators

By Adam Gretz | Last updated Apr 18, 2026 6:49 PM ET

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Brady Tkachuk tried to deliver a message at the start of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs for the Ottawa Senators. It failed spectacularly as the Senators dropped Game 1 of their Eastern Conference quarterfinal series, 2-0, against the Carolina Hurricanes.

Brady Tkachuk's fight makes no impact for Senators

Right off the opening face-off, Tkachuk dropped the gloves in what amounted to a staged fight with Hurricanes forward Jordan Staal.

It was very reminiscent of the way the 2025 4 Nations game between the United States and Canada opened, with the Tkachuk brothers (Brady and Florida Panthers forward Matthew Tkachuk) starting multiple fights to open the game. Perhaps his thinking here was that he could generate a similar spark, get his team going, and send some sort of message to the Hurricanes.

It did none of that and only left Tkachuk looking embarrassed.

A FIGHT TO START THE PLAYOFFS‼️

Brady Tkachuk and Jordan Staal immediately dropped the gloves pic.twitter.com/LBokHjzq6B
— ESPN (@espn) April 18, 2026

Not only because he ended up getting rocked in the fight by a 37-year-old Staal and took himself off the ice for five minutes, but because he then proceeded to be a complete non-factor for the remainder of the game.

The Senators failed to score a goal, were badly outplayed, while Tkachuk himself managed just two shots on goal and ended up taking another penalty late in the game to end his day.

The Tkachuk brothers are objectively outstanding hockey players, but have also made a name for themselves by being pests and cage-rattling players. There can be some value to that if it is channeled in a smart way. But what makes Matthew an especially effective player is that he is one of the top offensive players in the league and makes a consistent impact on the scoreboard.

That is what the Senators need from Brady.

They are not going to win this series or win in the playoffs through him fighting people off the opening face-off and taking himself out of the game because he is trying to send messages. That will not work against Carolina. It will not work against the top teams in the league.

It produces great theatre and drama on TV. It is not getting the Senators closer to winning.

Adam Gretz

Adam Gretz is a freelance writer based in Pittsburgh. He covers the NHL, NFL, MLB and NBA. Baseball is his favorite sport -- he is nearly halfway through his goal of seeing a game in every MLB ballpark. Catch him on X @AGretz

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