- Senators owner Michael Andlauer says Keith and Matthew Tkachuk pushed Brady toward a trade out of Ottawa
- Andlauer called the idea of more Americans leaving Ottawa “overhyped” and told people not to compare Jake Sanderson to Brady
- Read below for the full Andlauer quotes and what Brady said about the move back in June
Michael Andlauer finally said out loud what plenty of people in Ottawa have been thinking since June.
Talking to Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic on Tuesday, the Senators owner said Keith and Matthew Tkachuk “got in his kitchen” before Brady asked out. He put the trade request squarely on the family.
“Blood is thicker than water, and let’s just say that his father and his brother got in his kitchen. Ultimately, the decision was made to go and play with his brother. It’s a decision that was out of our control to a certain degree. But you have to want to play for Ottawa. And right to the end, our fans were behind Brady, even after Team USA won gold. I have no doubt in my mind.”
He’s talking about incoming Hall of Fame inductee Keith Tkachuk and Panthers winger Matthew Tkachuk. Here’s the quote:
Ottawa shipped Tkachuk to Florida in June for a package built around three first-round picks. He wore the C for five seasons and spent all eight of his NHL years with the Senators.
Brady has told it differently. On the “Wingmen” podcast he co-hosts with Matthew, he said the move wasn’t about his brother:
Then he went out and scored twice in his Panthers debut on Sunday, with Matthew feeding him the first one. Check it out:
Andlauer was also asked whether more American players might follow Tkachuk out of Ottawa. He called that talk “overhyped” and named Tyler Kleven and Shane Pinto as guys who want to be there.
On Jake Sanderson, he got blunt.
“And with Jake, first of all, his father (former NHLer Geoff) is a proud Canadian. Jake, for the most part, grew up in Calgary. Don’t compare Jake to Brady. What a privilege to have Jake Sanderson on our hockey club.”
There was praise in there, too. Andlauer spent a chunk of the conversation on what Tkachuk gave the city over eight years.
“In his eight years with the Ottawa Senators, and during his time as captain, he was an exemplary captain for us and leader and role model. He cared about the community. He and his wife, Emma, did more than any other player. And the fans knew it. Our fans are loyal, and they’re intelligent. And they loved Brady.”
Opening night is a week away, and it’ll be the first one since 2018 without him.
