Brady Tkachuk involved in another heated moment — this time with Quinn Hughes

That is the whole angle from the clip making the rounds. Tkachuk and Quinn Hughes, longtime friends, got into it after play stopped, and the post made sure to underline the obvious part: Brady started it.

At this point, that is not even surprising. Tkachuk keeps dragging extra heat into these games, and every new scrum adds to the sense that Ottawa is playing on a constant edge with its captain right in the middle of it.

This one stood out because of the names involved. Hughes is not some random opponent for Tkachuk to lean on after the whistle. There is history there, which made the sequence a little more personal and a lot more noticeable.

The visual says enough. The puck sequence ends near the net, traffic closes in, and instead of skating away, Tkachuk stays in the mix and turns a dead moment into another confrontation.

Here is the clip :

That is what he does. He keeps games uncomfortable, keeps opponents looking back at him, and keeps officials watching for the next flashpoint.

But there is a line between useful agitation and needless distraction. That is the tension around him now.

This was not a fight, and it did not need to become one to matter. A post-whistle scrum with Quinn Hughes still changes the mood and pulls attention away from the actual hockey in a hurry.

That is where the frustration can build around Ottawa. Tkachuk's edge is a huge part of what makes him dangerous, but when every night starts getting framed around another extra shove, another chirp, or another whistle-scrum, the act starts wearing thin.

It also puts more pressure on everyone around him. Teammates have to react, the bench has to stay composed, and the coaching staff has to keep answering for moments that keep following the same pattern.

The B/R Open Ice caption made that pattern the story too. “Started by Brady of course” is not subtle. It tells you his reputation is already doing half the work before the clip even starts.

Quinn Hughes was just the latest player pulled into it. Brady Tkachuk did not need a fight to leave his mark here. Another whistle, another shove, another Ottawa scrum, and once again he became the center of it.