OTTAWA -- Claude Giroux will face his former team for the first time when the Ottawa Senators host the Philadelphia Flyers at Canadian Tire Centre on Saturday (7 p.m. ET; SN1, TVAS2, NBCSP, ESPN+, SN NOW).
"It's definitely a little weird," the 34-year-old forward said after the Senators morning skate Saturday. "I think it's going to hit me a little harder tonight."
Giroux, who signed a three-year, $19.5 million contract with Ottawa as a free agent on July 13, played 1,000 games with Philadelphia, the majority as captain.
"I never thought I'd play for another team, to be honest," Giroux said, "until my last year with Philly when everything kind of happened. Everything kind of happened fast, too.
"It's just something that you never think of because you've been there for a long time. I really loved playing in front of those fans and wearing that jersey. I did it with a lot of pride. I never really thought of playing for another team. But here I am now."
The Hearst, Ontario, native, one goal shy of 300 in the NHL, has nine points (five goals, four assists) in 10 games and is on a four-game point streak. Senators coach D.J. Smith said Giroux has brought multiple unique elements to Ottawa that have been missing in years past.
"Face-offs, clearly," Smith said. "Our face-offs, we're in the top 10 in the League, or close to it (52.6 winning percentage, eighth in the NHL), and we were in the top five until the last little bit here, which is helping us with the puck. Leadership.
"But the biggest thing for me is that he's still a student of the game. He wants to be pushed. You know, I'm pushing him, but I think he's at the point where, you're a veteran player and I think sometimes the coach will tend to leave the guy and let him do his thing. But I've pushed him really hard here, especially as of late, and he's been appreciative of it. Really, I think he's coachable. He's been really coachable for me."
The game in Ottawa will serve as a preview to what will be an unforgettable experience when Giroux returns to Philadelphia for an afternoon game against the Flyers on Nov. 12. A lengthy, heartfelt pregame ceremony is expected.
For Giroux, staying cool and collected ahead of a once-in-a-career night will be paramount. On Saturday morning, he tried to keep it as light as possible.
"He looked pretty relaxed this morning," Smith said. "He was in the [lounge] down there and I think they put "The Office" on. It seems like it's on every time I go for a coffee. So, he was catching his third episode of "The Office" this morning. I don't know, he looked pretty calm to me."
"We have to keep it loose a little bit, especially today," Giroux said. "Michael Scott (character on "The Office" played by Steve Carell) makes me laugh."
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