The captain returns: Claude Giroux, now an Ottawa Senator, made an emotional trip back to Philadelphia to face the Flyers.
For the first time ever, Claude Giroux was a visitor in Philadelphia.
The former longtime captain of the Flyers made his return to the Wells Fargo Center with the Senators on Saturday afternoon.
"I respect this fan base so much, this organization, the players that play on that team," Giroux said after tallying three assists to help Ottawa hand the Flyers a 4-1 loss.
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Giroux's career in Philadelphia, which spanned parts of 15 seasons and 1,000 games, ended last year at the March trade deadline.
As the Flyers went through a disastrous 2021-22 season that signaled a retool, Giroux, a pending unrestricted free agent, waived his no-movement clause and was dealt to the Panthers. The 34-year-old then signed a three-year deal with the Senators on Day 1 of free agency.
Before the game Saturday, the Flyers saluted Giroux with a video tribute. He received a lengthy standing ovation as he acknowledged the fans and his former team.
"I feel like I've had a great relationship with the fans and the city," Giroux said in March after his 1,000th and final game with the Flyers. "I get them, they get me. ... I love them."
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During warmups, Giroux's son Gavin, the oldest of his two boys, sat on Ottawa's bench with a sign that read "Go Daddy."
"I'm going to remember this game for a long time," Giroux said.
Giroux ranks second on the Flyers' all-time leaderboards in games played (1,000), points (900) and assists (609), behind only Hall of Famer and franchise icon Bob Clarke.
"The fans were sad to see him go but they loved him here," Travis Konecny said Wednesday.
To watch the pregame video tribute, see the video above. Here are other sights and sounds from Giroux's return.
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