The Ottawa Senators find themselves in a frustrating rut, missing out on the playoffs for a seventh consecutive season, marking the third-longest playoff drought in the NHL.
Senators captain Brady Tkachuk, who’s been with the Senators for six of those years, says he’s “sick and tired of losing.”.
“I mean, everybody knows I’ve just finished year six and haven’t done a thing,” Tkachuk said at the club’s final media availability at the Canadian Tire Centre on Thursday. “I haven’t played in those meaningful playoff games that I’ve imagined and the rest of the group have imagined of playing.”
Adding salt to the wound is the fact that Brady’s brother, Matthew Tkachuk, is set for his sixth NHL postseason appearance, even making it to the Stanley Cup Final last year. While he’s certainly happy for his brother, the stark contrast in their playoff experiences probably isn’t doing much for Brady’s morale.
“It’s been a while since the city’s enjoyed (playoff hockey) and experienced that,” Brady said. “And I saw it first hand with Matthew last year. That was my motivation coming into this year. Those are the memories I wanted to provide to this city, and have this city rally around us.”
Brady admitted that this season, in particular, has been more mentally taxing than past ones. Despite the disappointment, he maintains faith in the team’s new management, led by GM Steve Staios, and owner Michael Andlauer. Tkachuk had his final exit meeting with Sens management prior to the end-of-year media session.
“Yeah, I mean, (the exit meeting) was a lot of the same. Sick and tired of losing. I don’t want to be going home in April anymore, it’s frustrating. At the end of the day, it’s just disappointing.
Tkachuk also emphasized the need for accountability within the team, suggesting that simply relying on skill and being a fun team isn’t enough to get them out of their funk. He advocated for a shift toward a more disciplined approach right from day one.
The past 24 hours did come with a couple of silver linings for Tkachuk, who says he’s excited to represent Team USA at next month’s World Hockey Championships in Czechia, where he’lll be joined by teammates Jake Sanderson and Shane Pinto.
Tkachuk was also named the Senators’ nominee for the NHL’s King Clancy Trophy, which is presented “to the player who best exemplifies leadership qualities on and off the ice and has made a noteworthy humanitarian contribution in his community.”
