Senators’ Brady Tkachuk fined for slashing opponent from bench
Some more hot water for the Ottawa Senators captain.
On Friday, the NHL Department of Player Safety announced that Ottawa Senators forward Brady Tkachuk has been fined $2,500 for unsportsmanlike conduct against an opponent while on the bench.
The incident occurred during a game between the Senators and Buffalo Sabres on Thursday night. Just before the halfway mark of the first period, Sabres forward Beck Malenstyn went to throw a hit on Ottawa defenseman Jordan Spence near the Senators’ bench. Tkachuk, who was plopped on the pine, gave Malentsyn a tap on his visor with the shaft of his stick, thinking he was going to get away with it.
Brady Tkachuk just got a 2-minute slashing minor while SITTING ON THE BENCH 😳 He caught Beck Malenstyn in the face with the buttend of his stick 🫣
He did not. The Scottsdale, Ariz. native was handed a minor penalty for slashing. That wouldn’t be the only time Tkachuk would be in the sin bin, as he dropped the gloves with Sabers defenseman Logan Stanley later in the first period. Tkachuk picked up an assist as Ottawa went on to beat Buffalo, 4-1.
Tkachuk’s slash wasn’t the only thing he had to answer for on Thursday. He was also asked about his father, Keith’s, comments on his Wingmen podcast, where Keith seemed to call out the Senators for being soft.
Surprisingly, this isn’t the first time a Tkachuk has faced supplemental discipline due to their actions while on the bench. Back in 2017, Brady’s older brother Matthew, then with the Calgary Flames, was suspended a game for spearing then-Toronto Maple Leafs forward Matt Martin while standing on the bench.
This is the second time Brady has been fined in his NHL career. Back in December 2019, he had to pay $2,486.56 for cross-checking Scott Laughton, then a member of the Philadelphia Flyers.
Despite missing 20 games with a wrist injury this year, Tkachuk has still been one of the Senators’ top scorers. In 55 games, he has posted 20 goals and 32 assists for 52 points, third on the team in scoring.
The Senators (39-26-10) are fourth in the Atlantic Division, holding onto the second Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference.