Senators forward Tim Stutzle brushed off Florida Panthers veteran Brad Marchand's social media comment that laughed at the idea of him being named Ottawa captain.
"I don't really care, to be honest," Stutzle told reporters Tuesday. "I don't care about that at all. I mean, Drake (Batherson) was calling me right after, that's his neighbor. I don't care. I think he's a great player. That's what he's trying to do, get in other guys' heads. I respect him as a player."
Stutzle was listed among the reported finalists to be Ottawa's next captain in an Instagram post Aug. 25. Marchand commented on the post, 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
Batherson and Marchand are both Nova Scotia natives. The former told reporters Tuesday that he texted Marchand after seeing the viral comment and said, "Marchy, what are you doing?"
"That's just Marchy. He's been doing that for years. I told Timmy it's all good," Batherson added.
The Senators dealt captain Brady Tkachuk to the Panthers in June after he requested a trade. He'll now be teammates with Marchand.
Marchand has long had a reputation for being a pest, which has carried over onto social media. After he won the Stanley Cup with Florida in 2025, Marchand thanked other NHL teams for helping the Panthers assemble their championship roster and later teased a move to the Toronto Maple Leafs.
