Five minutes into the Senators’ Thanksgiving Monday home opener, disaster struck.
Captain Brady Tkachuk was cross checked by Nashville Predators defenceman Roman Josi beside the net, and Tkachuk was sent awkward into the boards, with his hands up trying to protect himself.
Though Tkachuk tried to remain in the game, he was forced out with about 10 minutes left in the third period due to a thumb injury, later determined to be a ligament tear that required surgery, which took place on Oct. 16.
Wednesday marked the first time since the injury that Tkachuk spoke to the media.
On the moment the injury occurred
Tkachuk: I remember I had that partial breakaway. And usually, on any given day, I'm very confident, and I knew right when I shot it — it was a complete muffin, and I just knew my fingers were bothering me. I knew kind of then, and just every time I touched the puck it was bothering me, I felt like I wasn’t playing the way that I needed to play.
On the disappointment of missing so much time due to injury
Tkachuk: Yeah, I mean, it’s all I want to do, is be out there. You train so hard, train so long in the summer. That felt like the best I’ve ever felt, coming into this year, and just a little bump in the road… when I come back, I don’t want to just do status quo. I feel like there’s going to be a level to my game that I’ll be able to get to in these next couple weeks.
On the recovery process
Tkachuk: It’s been a long couple days, but everything is going in the right direction. Today was the first day of being able to start to do stuff, and I feel like that’s going to keep me sane. Whenever the guys are playing and you’re not playing, all I want to do is be out there, and go to battle with them, and help them out. And so that’s probably been the toughest part, is not being able to be around them in those moments. But I feel like I can help from afar, and you know, just try to stay around and throw some things that I see from watching.
On the surgery and a recovery timeline
Tkachuk: They fully repaired the ligament, it was fully torn, and they restabilized the joints. I think I was fully under for a nice little two-hour nap… they said it went awesome, very smooth, and I went to New York [Tuesday] for a check-up, and they were very happy with it.
I think [a specifc date to return] is kind of too early to say. I mean, of course I’m going to try to get back the first possible day. And I haven’t really looked at what that day is. I’m able to skate now, it’s only been nine days off the ice, so I feel like the legs and conditioning will stay, but it’s just going to be a little bit [to] be able to stickhandle and shoot again. So whenever this feels good enough to go, it’s probably going to be that first game, I’ll be back.
On staying around the team during rehabilitation
Tkachuk: Trying to stay a part of all the meetings, staying a part of the game reviews from the game before. Try to be here all the mornings, and before the games, just hanging out, just shooting it with the boys, and just staying a part of it. I mean, it’s tough.
All I want to do is go out there for warmups, go out there and play, but just stuff like that. Just kind of watching the room, and watching the guys that aren’t playing, and just kind of pick each other’s brains about what we see, and how we can help in intermissions, if guys ask us anything, just give them our input from afar.
But yeah, just for me, it’s staying a part of it, and a part of the group. I feel like it’s easy to kind of go out on your own island and sulk a little bit. But for me, and I feel like, for a lot of guys, it’s good to for you be a part of it mentally, and just be a part of the group and help out any way you can.
On missing early-season games for the team
Tkachuk: For sure, it’s definitely tough. The start of the season, you want to put yourself in the best position possible. And I think with our group, we’re right there… last game we got a point, but the game before, we could’ve gotten a point, two points, same as last night… I know everything’s magnified at the start of the season, 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, to, I wouldn’t even say turn it around, I know we’re getting back to our identity and not leaving games up to chance, that we’re playing a full 60-minutes and really starting to play our way.
On the rest of the team stepping up as leaders in the absence of a captain on the ice
Tkachuk: I wouldn’t even say it’s with me or without, I’ve seen through the first couple games now, I’ve seen guys — I wouldn’t say, coming out of their shells — but are demanding more out of themselves and the group. And once you say something in front of the group, you’re holding yourself to that standard of, I’m saying it, that means I’ve got to do it. And I feel like, let’s just say it went from five guys to 10 guys, over last year to this year… guys are stepping up, demanding more out of themselves and their teammates and holding ourselves to a higher standard.
On the positivity from the fanbase, and the video from CHEO
Tkachuk: A lot of people have reached out on social media, and people around the neighbourhood, wishing all the best, and so thankful, so appreciative that we have the support that we do, and very lucky to be in this position to make an impact, and looking forward to that time frame, that I just can’t wait to get back in front of this fan base. It was kind of short lived, for that first game, but excited to come back.
That [video] was so awesome. That caught me by surprise, and that’s probably the day where I was grinding the most, and I would say that definitely put a smile on my face.
