Florida Panthers pest and noted social media troll Brad Marchand apparently doesn't think too fondly of the leadership capabilities of Ottawa Senators forward Tim Stutzle.
In an Aug. 25 Instagram post, PuckEmpire wrote that Stutzle, Thomas Chabot, and Jake Sanderson are among the finalists to be Ottawa's next captain, citing a report from Postmedia's Bruce Garrioch. Marchand commented on the post Tuesday, saying, "Hahahah ... Stutzle ... hahaha."
Brad Marchand's response to Tim Stutzle being a finalist for the Ottawa Senators' captaincy. pic.twitter.com/ZybsgPT0Xi
— PuckEmpire (@puckempire) September 2, 2026
As of Wednesday morning, Marchand's comment remains on the Instagram post.
Marchand and Stutzle have been Atlantic Division foes since the latter entered the league in 2020-21. However, there haven't been any known prior disputes between the two or any on-ice incidents that resulted in supplemental discipline.
Stutzle was accused of being a diver early in his career, most notably by former Montreal Canadiens forward Brendan Gallagher.
Marchand is now teammates with former Senators captain Brady Tkachuk, whom Ottawa traded to Florida in June after he requested a move. The Senators have yet to name a new captain.
The Senators and Panthers will play each other four times this season, with the first meeting coming Oct. 21 in Ottawa.
