The City of Brotherly Love had plenty of it for their former captain on Saturday.
The Philadelphia Flyers honored the Ottawa Senators forward Claude Giroux with a special pregame video tribute at Wells Fargo Center.
Flyers fans gave Giroux a standing ovation as the forward saluted the crowd after the video aired.
It was Giroux’s first game back in Philadelphia since being traded to the Florida Panthers in March. The veteran forward signed a three-year contract with the Senators in July.
“It was tough [returning to Philadelphia]. The fans here, I wasn’t too sure what to expect, but they treated me well,” Giroux said after the game. “So many memories in this building. That video, I wish they showed that video at the end of the game because they showed that video and then had to go for a shift right away, so that was tough. But it’s part of the game. You’ve got to be professional and just do your job.”
Giroux recorded two assists in the Senators 4-1 win against the Flyers.
“I was expected to get booed a little bit more [by the fans]. I’ve never done this before, coming back to a team that you play for a long time,” Giroux said. “Just coming in the building and seeing people that work here and faces that I’ve seen for 14 years, just great. people. Obviously, it was fun for us. We pulled together and got a big win that we needed. And I’m going to remember this game for a long time.”
-NHL.com Deputy Managing Editor Adam Kimelman
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