Senators owner Andlauer opens up on Brady Tkachuk trade: Family 'got in his kitchen'
Blood is thicker than water, and let’s just say that his father and his brother got in his kitchen... Ultimately, the decision was made to go and play with his brother. It’s a decision that was out of our control to a certain degree.
And if Andlauer is being honest here, that means that Brady wasn't when he tried to convince us all that playing with his brother wasn't his main reason for wanting out of Ottawa.
Of course, if it wasn't, then certainly it must have been the cold reception he got from Ottawa fans after returning to Canada's capital following Team USA's Gold Medal win over Canada at the Olympics and their celebration at the White House. Right?
Andlauer is saying no to that.
"Right to the end, our fans were behind Brady — even after Team USA won gold. I have no doubt in my mind," said the Senators owner.
Others would tend to disagree.
One would even say it's the same chilly Canadian fans' post-Olympics response that could be a factor in driving Connor Hellebuyck out of Winnipeg, but we'll leave that for another day.
The Senators' owner puts the kibosh on the general Americans Want Out of Canada theory as well.
“I think it’s overhyped,” Andlauer said, speaking in particular about his own roster. “We’ve got Tyler Kleven and Shane Pinto, as well, who are Americans, and they’re very important pieces of our organization. I feel strongly that they’re all Senators. They have the culture of caring."
Time will tell how things proceed from here. We do have the recent Chris Kreider signing in Montreal example that would seem to buck that growing trend.
As for the Tkachuks, it's now a family affair in Florida after a little brotherly and fatherly advice.