Alter: Phaneuf feeling 'mixed emotions' before facing Maple Leafs in Toronto

TORONTO – When he stepped onto the ice Saturday morning, Ottawa Senators defenseman Dion Phaneuf acknowledged that it felt a little weird.

It probably didn’t help that a bunch of Toronto Maple Leafs fans were invited to watch the morning skate. Some of them stuck around to see Phaneuf; when he touched the puck, some even booed.

“It was different, obviously, going out there this morning on this side,” Phaneuf said. “That’s the way it is right now and they (the fans) gave it to me a bit.”

Phaneuf was back at Air Canada Centre for the first time since he was shipped to the Senators in a nine-player deal on Feb. 9. He’d spent seven years in Toronto, including more than six as Leafs captain. He was also a polarizing figure in the city, a lightning rod for criticism.

However, it’s evident Phaneuf forged lasting relationships with his ex-teammates, as many players met up with their former captain for dinner on Friday. Many of them didn’t get a chance to say goodbye when Phaneuf was traded.

“For me, it’s mixed emotions because I was such good friends with them. I enjoyed my time playing with them immensely,” Phaneuf said. “It was different going for dinner with the opposition side - I don’t usually do that but for them I made an exception.”

One of the players at dinner was Leafs forward Nazem Kadri. For the first time in both of their careers, Phaneuf and Kadri will be looking across the ice and seeing the other as the enemy. With the trade not even a month old, it’s not a familiar look.

“I’ve watched a couple of his games before (tonight) just keeping tabs on him a little bit,” Kadri said. “It’s pretty awkward to say the least, even doing the scrums after the game with his Ottawa Senators hat on and the red and the black, it just doesn’t sit too well with me yet.”

Video tribute planned for Phaneuf on Saturday

The Maple Leafs will honor Phaneuf with a television timeout video tribute during the first period. Back in October, Pittsburgh Penguins forward Phil Kessel returned to Toronto for the first time since being dealt in the offseason, but there was no acknowledgement of his return by the Maple Leafs during the game.

Kessel led the team in scoring in each season he was a member of the Maple Leafs.

The reason for the change this time around is largely due to the captaincy Phaneuf held. Although many will point to the team’s lack of success during Phaneuf’s tenure as its leader, that can never be taken away from him.

At the Maple Leafs’ training facility, there are life-sized pictures of every past team captain. When Phaneuf retires, his likeness will join the ranks of Mats Sundin, Doug Gilmour, and Wendel Clark.

The crowd reaction is expected to be what it usually is for a past player returning to Toronto. Every time Phaneuf touches the puck, the crowd is sure to boo. But during the video montage, there will be some applause.

“I think it should be outstanding,” Leafs head coach Mike Babcock said about the fan reaction he’s hoping to see. “In my opinion, and I’ve only had a limited time, (he is) a good man, played hard and trained right.”

No matter what the reaction is, Phaneuf’s mindset will be on helping his new team grab a spot in the playoffs. Sitting seven points out heading into Saturday’s game, there is a lot at stake.

“The bottom line is, once I was traded, I had two flights to go to Detroit and I had some time to reflect and I was all in,” Phaneuf said. “I’m excited to be part of the organization and I like the group that we have here and I just wanted to come and fit in. We’re fighting for our lives right now; it’s fun to be in a race.”