The Ottawa Senators have been in the spotlight as they continue their push for a playoff spot in a competitive Eastern Conference race. The attention increased even more as their captain, Brady Tkachuk, got involved in an altercation with Tampa Bay’s Yanni Gourde over the weekend.
The games have become more physical as teams push to secure playoff spots, leading to moments like these. The clip of the incident has gone viral since then, and has now been addressed by Tkachuk himself.
Brady Tkachuk Explains Reaction After Being Slapped By Lightning Forward Yanni Gourde
Tkachuk addressed the incident involving Gourde after their clash during Ottawa’s game on March 28. The play developed in the second period after a save by James Reimer, when Tkachuk delivered a cross-check from behind, which led to an immediate reaction before officials stepped in.
Gourde turned and responded with an open-handed slap to Tkachuk’s face, and the clip of the moment circulated online due to how blatant it was. Both players were assessed penalties, but the exchange stood out because of the timing and the nature of the response in a tight game.
Speaking later on his Wingmen podcast, Brady was asked by Matthew how he was “bi**hslapped.” The Sens captain shared that he did not fully register the moment during play. “Hey, honestly, I didn’t realize I got slapped until I saw the video after. I got two whacks right to the face,” Tkachuk said.
He then explained what led to the exchange and how it unfolded from his perspective. “I mean, I felt like I wore that well. I thought it was more of an impressive video for myself. But then I looked, people are ripping me just getting slapped as I kind of eat that on the chin, but yeah.
“It’s crazy too because I was just going to skate back to the bench because I turned it over, which led to a breakaway. Great save by Reimer. So I was just going to go back to the bench, kind of motherf*** myself. But then he stopped in my way and then just gave him a nice cross, then a b**chslap. I was like, okay, I’m definitely going to sit down.”
Tkachuk also spoke about the overall intensity when Ottawa faces Tampa Bay and how those games tend to play out. “I feel like those games at Tampa, I know you [to Matthew] guys are way crazier than ours, but I feel like we always have the best crowd, more intense game with them. They’re just battlers, they compete,” the Sens captain noted.
Responding to which, Matthew said, “I think they’ve done it more this year. After losing the last few years in the first round. They want to show [toughness].”
Currently, Ottawa holds a 38-26-10 record with 86 points and remains in the hunt for a wild-card position. Tkachuk is playing a major role for them with 20 goals and 51 points in 54 games. His physical style will still be a big part of how the team approaches these important games late in the season.
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