Ottawa Senators captain Brady Tkachuk is set for an emotional return to the ice Friday night, marking his first game back after undergoing surgery on his right thumb six weeks ago. The timing couldn't be more perfect for the team leader, who will make his comeback in his hometown of St. Louis when the Senators face the Blues at Enterprise Center.
Homecoming Game Adds Special Meaning
Tkachuk expressed his excitement about returning in St. Louis, telling reporters during a Zoom call from his hometown on Thursday that this scenario ranked at the top of his wish list. "Honestly, if it's not playing in Ottawa, this is at the top of the list," Tkachuk said. "We only come here once a year and I feel like it always happens around Thanksgiving, which I'm very grateful for because a lot of my friends will be around this weekend."
The captain revealed that targeting this specific game for his return made his recovery process more manageable. "I think this has kind of made everything a little bit better, knowing that this is the day that I wanted to play and was pushing to play," Tkachuk added. "I know that it's going to be a special moment, just getting back to play the game I love in front of the people that I know and love."
Road to Recovery
Tkachuk suffered the thumb injury during Ottawa's home opener on October 13, with Dr. Robert Hotchkiss performing the ligament repair surgery on October 16. His return comes exactly six weeks after the procedure, meeting the optimal recovery timeline.
The rehabilitation process included intensive work with power skating coach Shelley Kettles during the first two weeks, which Tkachuk found particularly beneficial. His final preparation involved skating Thursday with winger Kurtis MacDermid and assistant Ben Sexton. The captain began stickhandling exercises two weeks ago as part of his ramped-up activities over the past ten days.
Team Success During Absence
While Tkachuk watched from the sidelines, the Senators compiled an impressive 11-5-4 record during his 20-game absence. Several players elevated their performance to fill the void left by their top player, including Tim Stutzle, Drake Batherson, Shane Pinto, Michael Amadio, Claude Giroux, Jake Sanderson, David Perron and goaltender Linus Ullmark.
Tkachuk admitted that watching from the press box presented the biggest challenge during his recovery. "I'm not going to lie to you, I'm not a fan of watching from up there," he confessed. "It stinks when you're not able to battle and compete with your teammates. You kind of ask them to do that and you're not able to join them. That was probably the hardest part, the no-control factor."
The captain expressed gratitude for remaining involved with the team throughout his recovery and praised his teammates for maintaining high standards. "I'm super proud of them for the effort, and just how everybody elevated the standard," Tkachuk said. "I'm just looking forward to joining what they've been building for the last six weeks and they've been doing an amazing job. I'm just excited to join them and elevate in any way I can."
