Senators name Thomas Chabot as captain following Brady Tkachuk’s exit

“Every organization goes through different times, and we’re looking ahead in what we have here,” he added. “We’re excited of the team we have. We have tons of guys that are happy to be here and want to play and want to wear this jersey every night.”

Chabot, who has often served as a team ambassador for francophone fans in the Ottawa-Gatineau region, becomes the 11th captain in franchise history after the Senators sent Tkachuk to the Florida Panthers in June, following his trade request. Tkachuk had served as captain for parts of five seasons after taking over the role Nov. 5, 2021.

In 569 career games with Ottawa, Chabot has recorded 78 goals and 257 assists, including seven goals and 24 assists in 57 games last season.

Chabot is signed through the 2027-28 season with a salary cap hit of US$8 million.

“The players gravitate to him. The way that he plays the game, the way he commits to the game is inspiring for his teammates,” Senators general manager Steve Staios said. “I think for a long time we knew who it was going to be. We had the very fortunate ability to look at a number of players on our group to be able to lead us, but clearly Thomas is the guy.

“He doesn’t have to do anything different than what he’s already done to lead this group.”

The Senators, who were swept by the eventual Stanley Cup champion Carolina Hurricanes in the first round of last season’s playoffs, open their 2026-27 campaign Saturday against the Toronto Maple Leafs.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 29, 2026.

The Canadian Press

by The Canadian Press

Senators name Thomas Chabot as captain following Brady Tkachuk’s exit

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