Brady Tkachuk gets mercilessly booed before puck even drops in Ottawa!

Brady Tkachuk's return to Canadian Tire Centre was always going to be emotional, but the hostility began well before the opening face-off.

The former Ottawa Senators captain, traded last June after declining to sign an extension, made his first visit back to the building where he spent eight seasons. The reception from the crowd was merciless, with boos raining down on Tkachuk even during warmups.

At some point, the former Sens' superstar could be seen laughing with his new teammates, which didn't help quiet down the noise from the crowd.

The tension had been building all day. During the morning skate, Tkachuk was notably absent from the visiting bench while former teammates reconnected with other familiar faces. According to TSN reporter Claire Hanna, Lars Eller, another ex-Senator on the visiting roster, was greeted warmly by a parade of former colleagues. Tim Stutzle, Fabian Zetterlund, Linus Ullmark, Jake Sanderson, and Drake Batherson all embraced Eller.

Tkachuk, however, kept his distance.

Whether that was a deliberate choice or simply a matter of timing remains unclear. Tkachuk told reporters he arrived at the rink at 8:30 a.m. specifically to have meaningful visits with former teammates and Senators staff. "To not rush anytime, make sure, you know, really catch up with people," he explained, per Hanna.

Still, the optics did not help his cause. Tim Stutzle told Hanna he had not seen Tkachuk since his return to Ottawa and did not have dinner with him the night before. Jake Sanderson, meanwhile, acknowledged that Tkachuk picked up the dinner tab the previous evening, though details about who attended remained vague.

The fanbase's frustration runs deep. After years of wearing the captain's 'C', Tkachuk's refusal to commit long term left many feeling betrayed. Reports indicated that fans were expected to throw his jerseys onto the ice during the game. Tkachuk reportedly prepared for that possibility, saying he would donate any tossed jerseys to the Boys and Girls Club. It was a savvy response on paper, though it likely did little to cool the atmosphere inside the arena.

The crowd was also booing Tkachuk loudly during the national anthems.

Few homecomings in recent NHL memory have carried this level of raw emotion. The boos that greeted Tkachuk before the puck even dropped made one thing clear: Ottawa has not forgiven its former captain.