Ottawa Senators beat Florida Panthers 5–1 on 21 October 2026 in Brady Tkachuk’s first return to Ottawa, according to the NHL’s report published the following day.
Ottawa answers Tkachuk’s opening goal
The NHL’s report dated 22 October 2026 says Tkachuk opened the scoring on Florida’s first shot. His brother Matthew supplied the pass, and the goal brought an immediate response from a crowd watching its former captain return in an opposing jersey.
Tim Stützle equalised on the power play before Claude Giroux and Shane Pinto moved Ottawa ahead. Warren Foegele and Stephen Halliday then struck while the Senators were short-handed, turning a tense reunion into a decisive home victory. The NHL credited Stützle and Halliday with a goal and an assist each.
“I don’t think we ever got to (our game),” Florida coach Paul Maurice said in the NHL report. Maurice also pointed to lost face-offs, penalties and a forecheck that never took hold. Florida had scored first, but Ottawa controlled the score after the opening period.
A return with divisional stakes
The NHL says Tkachuk spent eight seasons with Ottawa, five of them as captain, before a June trade sent him to Florida. The reunion had drawn attention before face-off because it brought him back against the club he had led.
SportsRivo checked the Ottawa Senators’ official pregame report dated 21 October 2026: the teams entered level on 12 points in the Atlantic Division. That contemporary briefing gives the meeting a clear divisional setting alongside the personal return. In the NHL’s postgame account, Giroux described the crowd and the contest as feeling like a playoff game.
What the result changes
- Ottawa ended Florida’s three-game winning streak, according to the NHL’s postgame account, and took a divisional win against the team now featuring its former captain.
- Jake Sanderson returned to Ottawa’s lineup and supplied two assists. Goaltender Linus Ullmark left with a lower-body strain; coach Travis Green said he would be reassessed on Thursday.
Florida’s immediate next test
The NHL has confirmed that Florida will take on Pittsburgh on Thursday as part of their back-to-back. Meanwhile, the next update available for Ottawa is Green’s reassessment of Ullmark.
Source: NHL