Two seasons after Matthew was selected with the No. 6 pick in the 2016 NHL Draft by the Calgary Flames, Brady was taken No. 4 by the Senators. Matthew has made the playoffs in each season of his career, all nine of them with the Calgary and the Panthers, but for Brady, it has been a slog.

After missing the Senators’ last eight games because of an upper-body injury, the Ottawa captain returned to the lineup Thursday night for the regular-season finale against Carolina, but he didn’t finish the game.

Ottawa Senators' Brady Tkachuk made a brief appearance before the playoffs against Carolina Hurricanes and addressed his status following the game, leaving fans with a clear message.