Ottawa Senators captain Brady Tkachuk delivered a blistering and emotional rebuke on Saturday, directing his anger at the spread of online rumours concerning the personal life of teammate and goaltender Linus Ullmark.
Captain's Fury Over False Narratives
The confrontation with media occurred at the Canadian Tire Centre before the Senators faced the Florida Panthers. Tkachuk, visibly upset, did not mince words in condemning the speculation that had swirled on social media regarding Ullmark's recent absence from the team.
"It's pretty f--king bullsh-t," Tkachuk stated bluntly. "I don't think anybody's happy about a narrative being spread like that." He emphasized a clear line for criticism, acceptable for on-ice performance but wholly unacceptable when it invades private family matters. "When it gets into family, it's pretty f--king bulls--t. So it's embarrassing that it got to the point that it did," he added, making his displeasure unequivocally clear.
Team Leadership Rallies Behind Ullmark
The Senators organization had already taken a firm stand. On Thursday, the team issued a statement expressing extreme disappointment with the social media posts. President of hockey operations and general manager Steve Staios went further, calling allegations on the platform X "completely fabricated and false." Staios aimed to shut down the gossip, concluding the statement with a directive that "this statement will put an end to the ridiculous speculation that has spread online."
Teammates appreciated the strong organizational support. Star centre Tim Stutzle specifically thanked Staios for "standing up for the group." Stutzle also revealed he had personally reached out to Ullmark after the goalie was granted a personal leave of absence on December 27. "I texted him right after... Just told him that we all support him for whatever he's been going through," Stutzle said, clarifying the leave was for "something mental health related."
Unacceptable Distraction Amid Team Challenges
Tkachuk expressed sympathy for Ullmark, who had returned to the team facility, attending a game on Monday and practicing on Tuesday before being designated a non-roster player on Thursday for roster management purposes. "It's not true. You should never have to deal with that," Tkachuk said of the rumours. "But the fact that he has to even deal with this, and even has to think about it... Now that he has to deal with this, it's f--king mind-blowing."
The incident has become an unwanted distraction for a team navigating a difficult season. Both Tkachuk and Stutzle stressed the need for the locker room to block out the external noise. "We've just got to try and tune this thing out," Stutzle advised, focusing on daily preparation. He concluded with a firm declaration of team unity: "What annoys me the most is things out there that are not true. And I love my teammates."
