The Florida Panthers' Tkachuk brothers were central players in a raucous game Wednesday, Oct. 21, in Ottawa. One of them has fined for his actions.
The NHL's Department of Player Safety announced a $5,000 fine for Matthew Tkachuk after the Panthers star punched Dylan Cozens while his brother, Brady Tkachuk, was holding up the Senators center during a wild third-period scrap. It was part of a emotionally charged night as Brady Tkachuk, who played in Ottawa for eight seasons, made his return to Canadian Tire Centre after forcing a trade to Florida over the offseason.
The league also announced a fine of just over $4,000 for the Senators' Nick Cousins, who grabbed Matthew Tkachuk from the Ottawa bench during the fracas.
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The night was full of chaos and strong feelings as Brady Tkachuk was booed from before faceoff through his early exit after an ejection late in the 5-1 Senators win.
The Ottawa fans booed their former star's pregame tribute video with a cavalcade of creative jeers with topics ranging from his father, soon-to-be Hall of Famer Keith Tkachuk, to the podcast he hosts with his brother, with a few "You can't read!" and "You eat crayons!" chants filtered in. Fans showed up with altered Tkachuk jerseys, several of which were thrown on the ice in protest throughout the game.
Brady Tkachuk got the first laugh with a power-play goal to open the scoring, but it was all home team after that. Things came to a head in the third period when Senators goalie Linus Ullmark was injured after making a save. That's when Matthew Tkachuk and Cozens started getting into it in front of the Ottawa bench. Brady Tkachuk took over for his brother, who then circled back and punched Cozens while he was tangled up. Chants of "Brady sucks!" came down from the stands.
Linus Ullmark is injured after a routine save and then we got some rough stuff at the Sens bench involving the Tkachuk bros 😳🫣 pic.twitter.com/myzrB6yruI
— Gino Hard (@GinoHard_) October 22, 2026
With a little more than a minute remaining, Brady Tkachuk again got into it with Ottawa's Ridly Greig, leading to an early ejection. For the first time, fans showered him with cheers as they shouted "We don't need you!" as he headed to the Panthers locker room.
Brady Tkachuk trade
The younger Tkachuk brother demanded a trade last season with two years remaining on his seven-year, $57.5 million contract extension he signed in 2021. He was dealt to the Panthers in exchange for two first-round picks in the 2026 NHL Draft — the No. 9 overall pick, which Ottawa traded to San Jose, and No. 25 pick Jonas Lagerberg Hoen — as well as a second-round pick in 2027 and a conditional first-round pick in 2029.
The win kept Ottawa ahead of Florida for third place in the Atlantic Division. Through 10 games this season, Brady Tkachuk has 11 points on seven goals and four assists for his new club. His goal total ranks him in the top 10 in the NHL.
The two teams renew acquaintances Nov. 25 at Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise, Florida. The Tkachuk brothers make their next return to Ottawa on March 18.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Brady Tkachuk's fight-filled return to Ottawa leaves brother with fine
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