SNAPSHOTS: Captain Brady Tkachuk will represents Senators at NHL all-star weekend
Breadcrumb Trail Left Ottawa Senators Hockey Ottawa Senators left wing Brady Tkachuk (7) checks Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Marcus Bjork (47) during first NHL action at the Canadian Tire Center on Tuesday, January 3, 2023. Photo by Errol McGihon/POSTMEDIA Content of the article
Brady Tkachuk will head to the Sunshine State for an all-star weekend.
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The Ottawa Senators captain was named the club’s representative during the first break of the Columbus Blue Jackets-Washington Capitals game, which was shown nationally on ESPN in the United States on Thursday night.
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This will be Tkachuk’s third trip to the All-Star Weekend, but this is the first time he has been included in the roster on the date it was originally announced. The game will take place on February 3rd and 4th at the FLA Live Arena in Sunrise, Florida.
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In 2020, he was a last-minute replacement for the Atlantic squad when the game was in his hometown of St. Louis, and last season he replaced injured winger Drake Batherson in Vegas.
It will be a unique opportunity for Tkachuk to get a chance to play with his brother Matthew. He was loaned from the Calgary Flames to the Florida Panthers during the offseason and since they’re both in the Atlantic Division they have a rare chance to be teammates.
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The skills will take place on Friday and the game is scheduled for Saturday at 3:00 p.m. EST.
Under a new format, the NHL’s hockey department selected the 32 representatives from the four divisions (including a goaltender) who were named Thursday night. The last two field players in each division and a goalkeeper are chosen by the fans in online voting.
Tkachuk was the right choice for the Senators because he was the club’s best and most consistent player all season. He’s been a points-a-game player for the Senators this season with 13 goals and 39 points in 38 games.
He leads the charge every night with his physical style and has taken his game to a new level.
Center Tim Stutzle, winger Claude Giroux and Batherson would also have been good candidates to watch the game. Maybe one will be chosen by fan voting. Mitch Marner will represent the Toronto Maple Leafs and Nick Suzuki was the pick for the Habs.
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BACK IN THE RACE
The odds aren’t looking good as the club nears halfway through the season, but the possibility of making the playoffs looks a lot better than it did a little over two months ago when the Senators tied for last in the NHL with the Senators Anaheim Ducks on Nov. 24.
Since beating the Ducks 5-0 on Nov. 25, the Senators have taken a step in the right direction at the table.
“We got some results that we didn’t get earlier (in the season),” said coach DJ Smith. “There were a lot of games where we beat chances and outperformed teams and we just didn’t get results. Some games we’ve won lately have beaten our chances.
“Sometimes it always balances out. It doesn’t matter if you win or lose, and it’s pro sport and you have to win, but if you win but actually lose by beating your chance, you have to make sure you’re making adjustments really quickly. We made adjustments and so did the players so they know when we played well or badly, won or lost.”
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WATCH NORRIS
There’s no timeline for center Josh Norris’ return from a shoulder injury, but we should know whether or not it will be sometime this month.
The doctors did not give the 23-year-old Norris clearance to play because he lacks strength in his shoulder and he also has to be ready to play. Both sides will take as much time as they need to ensure Norris doesn’t play until everyone is convinced he’s ready.
The decision was made in November not to have Norris operate and to pursue the rehabilitation route to try to strengthen the shoulder. It should be noted that going under the knife isn’t completely out of the question, but Norris is trending in the right direction to make a return, which is why everyone is optimistic it will be.
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“It’s about making him comfortable,” Smith said. “The more he trains, the more comfortable he might feel a little bit more comfortable. He has spoken to the doctors and there is no date for his return. It’s just (about) when he feels like he’s almost there, then we’re going to really start pushing him and then see if he can come back.
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The Senators hold their annual skills competition Sunday at 12:00 p.m.
The club announced the two teams that will play Thursday, and two members of the Professional Women’s Hockey Players Association will be in attendance along with eight smaller Ottawa-area hockey players.
It’s always a fun event and this is what the teams will look like:
Team Black: Tkachuk (Captain), Batherson, Giroux, Erik Brannstrom, Derick Brassard, Mark Kastellic, Parker Kelly, Rebecca Leslie (PWHPA), Jacob Lucchini, Artem Zub and Anton Forsberg.
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Team White: Thomas Chabot (Captain), Alex DeBrincat, Dylan Gambrell, Travis Hamonic, Nick Holden, Shane Pinto, Jamie Lee Rattray (PWHPA), Jake Sanderson, Austin Watson, Cam Talbot and Stutzle.
Events include Puck Control Relay, Fastest Skater, Hardest Shot, Precision Shooting, Skill Challenge and a 3v3 competition. It’s always a fun afternoon and parking is free. Tickets start at $12.50 and go up to $20. A family four-pack is available in some segments for $10 per seat.
Proceeds from the event are sponsored by the Canadian Automobile Association and donated to the Senators Community Foundation and the NHLPA’s Goals and Dreams Fund. Since 2011, the event has attracted more than 150,000 fans and raised more than $750,000.
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