Brady Tkachuk Opens Up About One of the Scariest Moments of His Career

Brady Tkachuk and the Ottawa Senators secured their spot in the Stanley Cup Playoffs on Saturday afternoon thanks to a 3–0 win over the Islanders in New York, combined with a Detroit Red Wings loss to the New Jersey Devils later that night.

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It was supposed to be a day full of positivity, but all anyone was worried about in the aftermath was the status of the Senators’ captain. A scary moment in the second period saw Tkachuk seemingly stumble out of nowhere, appearing dazed and losing his balance despite taking almost no contact on the play. He returned briefly to start the third period but then left for the remainder of the game.

Tkachuk didn’t play in Ottawa’s next game in New Jersey on Sunday but was back at practice on Tuesday and spoke about what he called one of the weirdest and scariest moments he’s ever experienced.

Tkachuk said:

“I mean, that was one of the weirdest, honestly scary moments. Yeah, just, I don’t know, all the tests came back clear and fine. Everything’s all good. But yeah, I threw a hit in the corner and just slowly, kind of, my vision just started going. And nothing hit me in the head all game… I just kind of lost vision. I saw the video. (Pulock’s) stick never hit me, coming off the bench. But right when I sat down, I kind of got everything back really quick, but obviously, it was nerve-wracking and scary,”

The 26-year-old Tkachuk has produced 59 points (22 goals, 37 assists) in just 60 games played for the Senators this season.

While it’s unknown whether Tkachuk will suit up in Wednesday night’s regular-season finale against the Toronto Maple Leafs, he ensured that he’s feeling good and ready for what’s to come—a first-round series against the Carolina Hurricanes.

Ottawa will be in tough against the top seed in the Eastern Conference, and they will need Tkachuk at full strength in order to pull off the upset.

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