Senators’ latest Brady Tkachuk promotion backfires immediately

The club’s attempt to help fans move on has instead sparked a heated online debate.

The Ottawa Senators are trying to help fans move on from Brady Tkachuk. Instead, they may have created one of the most debated promotions of the NHL offseason.

Following the blockbuster trade that sent their former captain to the Florida Panthers, the Senators unveiled a new campaign titled ”Chuk Your Tkachuk.” Running from Friday through Monday, the promotion allows fans to trade in eligible Brady Tkachuk jerseys for a 40 percent discount on a new Senators sweater.

The gesture was clearly intended to soften the blow after one of the biggest trades in franchise history. Tkachuk, who requested a move after informing the organization he would not sign another contract in Ottawa, was dealt to Florida in exchange for three first-round picks and a second-round selection.

But while the idea sounded good on paper, the reaction online quickly turned critical.

Many fans pointed out that the promotion only applies to Fanatics Premium jerseys, leaving out a large number of supporters who own Adidas versions purchased over the past several seasons.

“I can appreciate the gesture, but this only applies to essentially the Fanatics pre-stitched Premium jerseys,” one season-ticket holder wrote on social media, adding that most fans would not even qualify for the discount.

Others questioned why the club would launch a campaign focused on getting rid of the shirt of a player who served as captain for years rather than simply focusing on the future…

The Senators are not the only ones attempting to assist supporters in moving forward. The Titans, Ottawa’s Frontier League baseball team, joined the discussion by declaring a “Forget Brady Day” where fans could trade their Tkachuk jerseys for an A.J. Wright Titans jersey.

Depending on who you ask, these advertisements may be considered creative marketing or insensitive public relations.

They have people talking, that’s for sure. And while some fans enjoy the chance to swap an old jersey at a cheap rate, others think the organization should devote less time to marketing stunts and more time giving supporters a team worth believing in once more.