Senators' Giroux: Playing Flyers for 1st time will be 'a little weird'
Senators forward Claude Giroux will play against the Philadelphia Flyers for the first time Saturday when his former team visits his new digs in Ottawa.
"It's a little weird, obviously, being in Philly for so many years," Giroux told reporters Friday, according to TSN. "Playing them for the first time, it's definitely different. I'm not too sure what to expect. ... It's definitely weird."
Giroux played the first 1,000 games of his NHL career in the City of Brotherly Love, serving as the Flyers' captain from 2013 until his departure last season. With Philadelphia far outside of the playoff picture, the team traded Giroux to the Florida Panthers prior to the trade deadline.
He narrowly missed out on facing the Flyers as a member of the Panthers, whose last clash against Philadelphia of the 2021-22 campaign came March 10, nine days before his trade.
Though the new Senator joked that he'll need to make sure he doesn't go into the "wrong penalty box" Saturday night, he was all business while staring down the sentimental matchup.
"As weird as it's going to be, and different, I think, at the end of the day, it's a hockey game, and we're there to get two points," he said.
The Senators take on the Flyers again next Saturday, this time at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia.
Giroux spent the first 15 seasons of his career as a Flyer and ranks second all time in games played for the franchise (1,000), assists (609), and points (900).
The veteran has 299 career tallies after potting two against the Vegas Golden Knights on Thursday and could crack the 300-goal mark against Philadelphia.
Ottawa sits in last place of the Atlantic Division with a record of 4-6-0 despite its electric offseason.
The Flyers, meanwhile, enjoyed a hot start to the new campaign and are fifth in the Metropolitan Division with a 5-3-2 record.
Both teams will be looking to stop a multi-game losing streak Saturday.
Giroux signed a three-year, $19.5-million pact with the Senators as an unrestricted free agent in July. He has five goals and four assists in 10 games with Ottawa, and his nine points are tied for the third most on the team.
Puck drops on Giroux's reunion with the Flyers at 7 p.m. ET.