Brady Tkachuk’s NHL return with the Ottawa Senators was marked by a bloody nose and a misconduct penalty after a big hit on Thursday, February 26. Midway through the matchup against the Detroit Red Wings, the night took a rough turn for Tkachuk, who was left with a bloody nose and sent to the penalty box.
Tkachuk is already in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons after winning a gold medal with Team USA at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan and the following controversy regarding a White House TikTok video of him.
During the second period, Red Wings defenseman Simon Edvinsson stepped into Brady Tkachuk along the boards, with Tkachuk’s own stick striking his face and leaving him bloodied. Edvinsson was assessed a two-minute interference penalty and a five-minute fighting major after Ottawa forward Dylan Cozens stepped in to defend his teammate.
— GinoHard_ (@GinoHard_)
Also Read: Ottawa Senators captain Brady Tkachuk slams White House video showing him hurling anti-Canada slur as ‘fake’
Tkachuk was also issued a 10-minute misconduct penalty, apparently for chirping at Edvinsson after the two reached the penalty box. The exchange continued as both players argued while serving their penalties.
Live Events— TSN_Sports (@TSN_Sports)
The game capped a busy day for Tkachuk, who was making his first NHL appearance since returning from the Olympics. Earlier, he spoke with reporters after practice about his gold medal experience and addressed a White House TikTok video in which his voice was dubbed using artificial intelligence to make it appear as though he was insulting Canadians.
Tkachuk distanced himself from the video as fabricated. “It’s clearly fake because it’s not my voice and not my lips moving.” He added, “It’s not my voice. It’s not what I was saying. I would never say that. It’s not who I am. So, I guess I don’t like that video.”
An Arizona native, Tkachuk has spent his entire NHL career with the Ottawa Senators and returned from Italy this week with other members of the US Olympic team as the NHL schedule resumed.