Ottawa Senators defeat Florida Panthers 5-1 in Brady Tkachuk's return

The Ottawa Senators secured a 5-1 victory over the Florida Panthers at the Canadian Tire Centre. The matchup was defined by the return of Brady Tkachuk to Ottawa, where he served as captain for five seasons before requesting a trade to Florida in June.

Despite the hostile reception from fans—who engaged in sustained booing, chanting “Brady sucks,” and throwing jerseys onto the ice—Tkachuk scored the opening goal for the Panthers on a first-period power play. Ottawa responded quickly with goals from Tim Stützle, Claude Giroux, Shane Pinto, Warren Foegele, and Stephen Halliday.

The game was marked by high emotions and physical play, including a heated exchange between Tkachuk, his brother Matthew Tkachuk, and Sam Bennett. Ottawa goaltender Linus Ullmark left the game in the third period due to a lower-body injury after making 17 saves, with Samuel Ersson providing relief.