It wasn’t your average game-day morning at the Canadian Tire Centre on Thursday. Ottawa Senators‘ Brady Tkachuk and Jake Sanderson met local and Canadian National media for the first time in a scrum format since becoming Gold Medallists Sunday.
The pair revelled in moments speaking of their experiences of winning Gold, but also faced questions regarding the fallout of President Trump’s call to the team disparaging the USA Women’s accomplishments, their White House visit and more.
While the back and forth between the Senators star players and media appeared to be testy at times, Tkachuk and Sanderson made it clear where their priorities stand. And that is achieving the goal of getting the Senators back into the playoffs.
On the Gold Medal victory:
Brady Tkachuk: “It still feels like a dream. It truly was just a dream come true, something that you always hope and wish you can achieve, but to finally happen. I honestly, I still can’t really put words into it. It’s, I still feel like I’m dreaming, and somebody’s got to wake me up.. .
(Playing with his brother, Matthew)I mean, obviously couldn’t have drew it up any better. But, I mean, it’s a dream come true, but to do it with my 23 other brothers, and to do it with “Sandy” and, I mean, we’re live together forever, so it’s just something that can’t really wrap my head around yet, but to do it with Matthew and be with him for two and a half weeks, non stop together, and just how special that was that will be forever.”
Jake Sanderson: “So cool, such an amazing experience, just to be around the guys, my family was there, so it was just a dream come true. It was just a big family together, trained in the summer together, obviously, play against each other, so we know everyone built that chemistry and get the job done for our country right…I think for me, just right after the game in Italy, hugging everybody in my family that helped me get here. I think that was kind of a moment that I got a little emotional just hugging my mom, my dad and my brother, great celebration after the game.”
On the phone call fallout of disparaging the USA Women’s team:
Tkachuk: “I mean, honestly, we’re just coming off the ice, and I think it was 15 minutes later, you have the President of the United States calling you. You just can’t really believe you’re still riding the high of being a world champion, and for the President to take time and call.
And when it comes to the Women’s team, I just have a story of one of my favourite memories from Olympics is; after we won and after the Women’s team came back from the closing ceremonies, both our teams are just in the dining hall hanging out having fun, just kind of being on top of the world. You have two gold medalist teams just hanging out before we’re going back to our respective cities.
And it was just great to hear their experience. You know, a lot of us went to a couple of their games, and they know that we supported them throughout the whole tournament. And honestly, when they scored in OT, when Megan Keller scored the OT winner, I think there’s 15 of us and in the lounge back the village. And we were all standing up, going nuts, clapping. And I just remember, it’s like they just achieved their dream. And that gave us so much motivation to go win the gold medals ourselves.”
“I have no really other comments other than for the things that we control. And that was, we supported them. They supported us. Can’t control about what other people say. That’s just kind of life itself. So, but for us is, I thought it was fun being around them. It was fun seeing them play. It was fun to see the excellence that they brought every single game, and now they were by far the best team in that tournament. It was just fun hanging out them after picking their brains. There they were picking our brains, and it was just fun.”
Sanderson: “Yeah, I think you know, looking back at it now, I think things have blown out of proportion a little bit. We have nothing but the utmost respect for the women. We had a lounge in the village that we’re hanging out with them all the time, watching other events, going to their games. I remember watching their Gold ,edal game in the lounge, biting my nails, so nervous, such a great game.
But when Megan Keller scored we all jumped up, and everyone was freaking out. And I understand, I think if we were to do it again, I think we wouldn’t do that. But we made mistakes. So again, I think it was blown out of proportion a little bit. We love the women and have nothing but respect for all of them.”
room as you guys celebrating.”
On the invitation to the White House:
Tkachuk: “It was really good to celebrate in Washington. I mean, never in a million years, I remember thinking being in the Oval Office is just like, how did I get here? And it just was special, you know, just being an American citizen. You never really think, oh, no, you go to the White House, see the White House, to be in the Oval Office and for it to happen, it was really cool.”
Sanderson: “I think champions, every single year get invited to the White House. We went as the whole team. So again, for me, it was just more time to spend with my teammates before coming back. I’d never been to DC without playing a hockey game, so it was cool to travel around, see all the monuments, the buildings. So I think that was the perspective, for me.”
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Tkachuk and Sanderson each have roots in Canada. The Senators’ captain’s mother, Chantal was born in Winnipeg and has family in Manitoba. Sanderson’s dad, former NHLer Geoff, was born in Hay River, Northwest Territories, though born in Montana, Jake played his youth hockey in Calgary.
Tkachuk responded to social media comments that he blurted out “Close the Northern Border” after their win.
“I’ve been seeing stuff that people think it’s me, but if you watch the video, that’s not my voice, and something that I never say. I don’t really know how that kind of took a storm on its own when I play here and give everything I have here. And I just think that’s something that I’ve never thought in my head, and especially would never say it. And I know it’s crazy the waythings go on social media, how, how fast they go. And of course, I would never say anything like that.”
Tkachuk also commented on the AI-generated White House video which displayed him exuberantly putting down his opponent, Canada.
“It’s clearly fake. It’s not my voice and not my lips moving, so I’m not control of any of those accounts, and I know that those words have never come out of my mouth. So I can’t do anything about it.”
Having clear responded to questions which normally would have never been asked, Sanderson and Tkachuk continue to deal with the task at hand. That is, the Senators push towards the playoffs. The team trails the final Wildcard spot by six points with 25 games remaining as they are set to face the Detroit Red Wings Thursday evening.
For Tkachuk, it’s all about earning success with his Senators’ teammates and that he’s in Ottawa for the long haul.
“That’s not something that has crossed my mind (leaving). I love playing for this team. I love the guys in this room. I really believe in what we’re all about, what we’re planning on. Of course, I’ve had some amazing moments, and I want those moments to continue. I want this, and I believe that this stretch here is going to be a lot of fun to be a part of, going to give absolutely everything we have for this team.”
