- Matthew Tkachuk says Brady’s Ottawa return was “not sold out” despite the announced 17,010
- He still called the Senators crowd loud and passionate on the “Wingmen” podcast
- Read below for what Brady said about the energy and how the night went
Matthew Tkachuk isn’t buying the sellout.
The Panthers forward said on Wednesday’s episode of the “Wingmen” podcast that the crowd for his brother Brady’s Oct. 21 return to Ottawa was not a full house, even though the Senators announced 17,010 at Canadian Tire Centre.
Brady had just called the night “probably the best energy that I’ve seen in that building, right up there with playoffs,” and asked Matthew where it ranked among the atmospheres he has played in. Matthew said it was “one of the better regular season ones for sure,” then got to the attendance:
“They say it was sold out. That was not sold out. I was there. I had my eyes. It was not sold out. But they were loud. They’re passionate.”
Check out Matthew’s take around the 6:30 mark:
The fans earned the praise. They booed Brady every time he touched the puck and came armed with signs and chants, from “you can’t read” to “you eat crayons.” We rounded up every insult Ottawa fans used that night.
The noise started before the anthems even finished. Here’s the chant that greeted him:
Brady scored the opening goal, then watched the Senators answer with five unanswered goals in a 5-1 win. He spent his first eight NHL seasons in Ottawa, five of them as captain, before he facilitated a June trade to Florida to play next to his brother with two years left on his contract.
Matthew picked up some trouble of his own that night, a fine after a scrum with Nick Cousins.
