Leaving was never really in Brady Tkachuk’s thought process
Greg Wyshynski of ESPN: Brady Tkachuk’s dad, Keith, recently shot down that Brady was unhappy in Ottawa and that he may be looking to get out. Although they may not have had the success that Brady had hoped for, he feels they took a step last year and are just getting started.
“I think helped with all the speculation. When things aren’t going well, people are always assuming or trying to think in my shoes. But I was kind of never really in that thought process. It was all about sticking it out. It’s been a long time coming, for not just our team but the city, to get into the playoffs. And I think it was really important to me to end that drought.”
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Brady Tkachuk seems committed to Ottawa, and the city loves him
TSN: Bruce Garrioch, when asked about the Brady Tkachuk speculation.
** NHLRumors.com transcription
Jim Tatti: “We’ll squeeze this one in, Brady Tkachuk. I mean that this, these trade rumor talks, or, I guess, just leave them at rumors, but not quite as long as the search for land for a new arena. But, but they’ve been around for a number of years and he obviously put some water on that fire. What are your thoughts on that?
Garrioch: “Well, I think that Brady Tkachuk has committed the City of Ottawa, and the city, and the City of Ottawa certainly loves him. I look at Tkachuk and I say, you know, I think it was important for them to make the playoffs last year. I, you know, I think some, some frustration would have grown in that camp.
But obviously now, and I think that, you know, Tkachuk has always wanted to do it here. He’s very tight with Thomas Chabot and Tim Stutzle, and he was obviously very tight with Josh Norris before he got traded. But, But I think, you know, Tkachuk wants to get this done here.
He really, you know, I spoke to him at the end of the season, he really felt like they had just made one step. Now they want to make the next step. But for that to happen for them next season, Jim, the growth is going to have to come from within.
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And because I think the teams around them have improved. And I think everybody’s looking at the Florida Panthers right now and, and saying, you know, can we be as good as the Florida Panthers? And I think that, that Ottawa and Toronto, in that department of their work cut out for them.
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