Ottawa Senators captain Brady Tkachuk sidelined after undergoing thumb surgery

OTTAWA — It didn’t take long for Brady Tkachuk to know something wasn’t right.

The Ottawa Senators captain was cross-checked into the boards five minutes into the club’s 4-1 home-opening loss Monday to Nashville by the Predators’ Roman Josi. But while Tkachuk continued playing, he knew something was wrong.

Tkachuk recalled how on a partial breakaway in the third period he attempted a shot and “it was a complete muffin.”

“So, I just knew, like my finger was killing me when I shot it too,” he said. “And just every time I touched the puck, and it was bothering me.”

That moment not only marked the end of Tkachuk’s night but the start of a challenging recovery process that will force him to miss the first couple months of a season he had been excited for.

The 26-year-old captain underwent surgery to repair a torn ligament in his right thumb. He now faces the unfamiliar reality of watching from a distance.

“All I want to do is be out there,” said Tkachuk. “You train so hard, train so long in the summer and felt the best I’ve ever felt coming into this year.

“It’s just a little bump in the road. But now take this time, to not sulk in it, but know when I come back that I don’t want to just be status quo.”

The surgery, which lasted about two hours, went smoothly. Doctors “fully repaired the ligament and restabilized the joint,” and Tkachuk has already started light activity as he eyes a return sometime in the next six-to-eight weeks.

“Everything is going in the right direction,” he said. “Today’s the first day I’ve been able to start to do stuff, and I feel that’s going to keep me sane.”

Tkachuk admits watching from a distance has been the hardest part but is doing his best to remain actively involved on daily basis. He’s participating in team meetings, spending time in the locker room and offering observations from the stands.

“For me it’s staying a part of the group,” he said. “It’s easy to go out on your own island and sulk a little bit, but for me, and I feel for like a lot of guys, it’s good for you mentally to be a part of the group and help out in any way that we can.”

It’s a new and tough challenge for a player who has built his reputation on durability and intensity. Before missing 10 games last season, Tkachuk had rarely missed time.

“I’ve always prided myself on grinding through things and trying to play a full 82-game season,’ he said. “It’s tough, but now these are a lot of the things I’m playing with you can’t really control and can’t really grind through.”

Tkachuk is confident he will still be able to represent Team USA at the upcoming Winter Olympics.

Ottawa is trying to find its footing without its captain.

With a 2-4-1 record, things haven’t gone as well as the Senators would have liked through the first couple weeks of a season that holds high expectations. But Tkachuk remains confident.

“I know everything’s magnified at the start of the season,” he said. “But what I’ve been saying to the guys, and kind of everybody in this organization, I have the full belief and faith in this group.

“I won’t even say turn it around, but just I know we’re getting back to our identity and not leaving games up to chance.”

While Tkachuk might be the captain, he acknowledged the team has a number of players who shoulder the responsibility of leadership and will help it get through things.

“I’ve seen, you know, for the first couple games that guys, I wouldn’t say are coming out of their shells, but are demanding more out of themselves and then the group,” Tkachuk said. “You know, once you say something in front of the group, you’re holding yourself to that standard of I’m saying that means I’ve got to do it.”

Despite the downside of the injury, Tkachuk is looking to make the most of this experience and use it as an opportunity.

“It’s definitely a tough test mentally, but I think with that is an opportunity to face adversity and get better because of it,” Tkachuk said. “Be a better person, player, leader. It’s an opportunity to grow in that aspect.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 22, 2025.