‘I’d be lying if I said I was happy’ — Chabot’s Blunt Response to Tkachuk Asking Out

Brady Tkachuk’s offseason trade request sent shockwaves through Ottawa. Another American Olympic Team star asking out of Canada, another captain bailing on a Canadian franchise, and ultimately another high‑profile departure that stings far deeper than the transaction log.

Tkachuk forced his way to the Florida Panthers to join his brother Matthew, leaving behind a Senators team that had built its identity around him. On the ice, his physicality, chaos, and talent were undeniable. Off the ice, the podcast drama, the noise, and finally the trade request became a distraction the room couldn’t ignore.

And now, the fallout is everywhere.

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Chabot Speaks

The reaction in Ottawa has been loud — and emotional. Sid Seixeiro blasted the Senators for planning a welcome‑back video for Tkachuk’s return, calling it undeserved. Many fans agree. Some say they’ll look away from the screen. Others call him a “traitor.” The temperature in the fanbase is boiling.

Now, former teammates are weighing in, and the tone is just as sharp.

Thomas Chabot was asked directly about Tkachuk wanting out. His answer didn’t dance around anything:

“You want guys to be here. You want guys to want to be part of this team and part of this city. So, when you see something like that, obviously, I’d be lying if I said I was happy when he decided to leave.”

It’s a damning sentiment — especially considering Tkachuk’s now‑infamous quote from last season claiming he was “fully committed to this team, to this city.” Inside the room, that comment clearly didn’t age well.

Chabot’s words reflect what many in the organization feel: disappointment, frustration, and a sense of betrayal.

New Captain

Replacing Tkachuk on the ice is one challenge. Replacing him as captain is another entirely.

Drake Batherson spoke candidly about what Tkachuk meant to the group:

“He was a unique player. Not a lot of guys in the League did what he did and brought what he brought. He stuck up for a lot of guys over the years, and he was great for this franchise. Collectively as a team, we’re going to have to find ways to bring that aspect with him gone. We’re going to have to figure it out pretty quick.”

Batherson’s comments underline the reality: you don’t replace Brady Tkachuk with one player — you replace him with a collective shift in attitude.

Chabot also addressed the looming captaincy decision:

“It’s an important decision. Yet, when I look at our group and the potential players that could be our next captain here for the Ottawa Senators, it just comes naturally to all these players that we’re talking about. Obviously, losing Brady, we knew that was kind of going to start being brought up a little bit. There’s not much we control on that, and the way people obviously around town talk to me about it, it’s a huge honor and feels good to see that people recognize it.”

Chabot, Batherson, Tim Stützle, and Jake Sanderson are the four names consistently mentioned — and all four make legitimate sense. Ottawa has options. What they don’t have anymore is the obvious choice.

Moving On

Moving on from a captain who asked out is never simple. It’s personal. It lingers. And it clearly lingers in Ottawa’s room.

The Senators will miss Tkachuk’s on‑ice presence — the physicality, the chaos, the ability to drag opponents into the mud. But being free of the off‑ice noise might be the reset this group desperately needed. No more speculation and no more drama. No more waiting for the next headline.

Long term, this could actually be good for Ottawa. A clean break. A chance for the young core to define the team without Tkachuk’s shadow.

But the reunion? That’s going to be ugly.

When Tkachuk returns to Ottawa, the welcome will be hostile. The fans won’t be friendly. The players shouldn’t be either. This is the kind of game that becomes a date circled on every calendar.

October 21st in Ottawa is must‑watch hockey.

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