A well-timed and much needed distraction. And in the end, a bit of a no-brainer.
He’s been the Captain-in-waiting for some time now and today they finally got around to stitching on the letter. The Ottawa Senators have named Brady Tkachuk as the 10th Captain in the history of the franchise.
The team also announced that Tkachuk’s role as team captain will see him supported by full-time alternate in Thomas Chabot and a rotating group which includes Connor Brown, Nick Paul and Nikita Zaitsev.
The moment Brady Tkachuk first stepped on the ice for the Senators, it was apparent that he was Captain material. We’ve heard it many times over the last few years but he is the type that drags his teammates into the fight. And while there were some scary moments over the summer, it’s clear that he is at the centre of this rebuild. He’s the guy they’re building around and he’s the guy they expect to lead the team for years to come.
Here’s Eugene Melnyk on today’s news…
“Brady personifies leadership. While on the ice, he craves winning and commands respect. Off of it, he routinely sets a good example for his teammates and carries himself with a combination of confidence and dignity. He’s deserving of this next step in his career. We’re proud to bestow the honour of being the team’s 10th captain upon him.”
This feels like an announcement that has been a long-time in the making but watching the way management, coaches and players speak about Brady, it’s clear that he became this team’s Captain a long time ago.
