‘Blood is thicker than water’: Senators owner on Brady Tkachuk joining his brother in Florida

Brady Tkachuk and the Ottawa Senators had a long, substantial history together. The Senators selected the power forward fourth overall in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft. Tkachuk played his first eight NHL seasons in Ottawa, captaining the team for five of those seasons and leading them to back-to-back playoff appearances. Whatever sense of loyalty and belonging that might have developed over that time, however, could not ultimately compete with family ties.

According to Senators general manager Steve Staios, Tkachuk requested a trade out of Ottawa, and was eventually granted his wish when he was dealt to the Florida Panthers in June for a package of draft picks.

The Panthers were one of four teams Tkachuk reportedly would have accepted as a trade destination, but Senators owner Michael Andlauer says Tkachuk had his heart set on joining his brother Matthew in Florida all along.

“Blood is thicker than water, and let’s just say that his father and his brother got in his kitchen,” Andlauer told The Athletic on Tuesday. “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.”

By ‘his father and his brother’, Andlauer is referring to Brady’s father Keith, the former NHL forward that will be elected into the Hockey Hall of Fame as part of the class of 2026, and his brother Matthew, a star forward for the Panthers. Andlauer seems to be suggesting that Keith and Matthew convinced Brady to request a trade to Florida so he can play with his brother.

There had been some talk that fans in Ottawa turned on Tkachuk after he won gold with the United States’ men’s national team at the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics, and was rumored to have shouted ‘close the northern border’ in a celebratory call with U.S. President Donald Trump, a rumor he since refuted.

Andlauer, however, stated that Senators fans never waivered in their support of Tkachuk.

“Right to the end, our fans were behind Brady — even after Team USA won gold,” he said. “I have no doubt in my mind.”