TUESDAY OCTOBER 25: CALGARY FLAMES AT ST LOUIS BLUES
If you know Brian Elliott, then you probably saw this coming. The Calgary Flames acquired the net-minder from the St Louis Blues during the off season in a trade. It’s always a fun and emotional time when you’re playing against your old team. You of course want to beat them, but there are no hard feelings.
Generally when players who played for a long time with a certain team get traded to another team and they play their old team for the first time, there is some sort of gesture of appreciation from the fans for that player. Especially if they had a big impact on their old team.
Look at Jarome Iginla for example. He played with Calgary for 15 full seasons before being traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins in the middle of the 16th season. Then the following season in the 2013-2014 season, he was a free agent and signed with the Boston Bruins.
When the Bruins came to Calgary and Iggy played his first game in Calgary against Calgary, it was a roller coaster of emotions. He got a star of the game and all their players came back to the bench and Bruins captain, Zdeno Chara, made him do another lap around the rink as everyone gave him a standing ovation. Then, all the bruins players came from the locker room to cheer on their teammate. Everyone in the stands eventually started chanting “Iggy! Iggy!” and the players on the bench made him do another lap again. I mean, biggest applause I’ve ever seen for a star of the game, that’s for sure.
It’s especially special when you’re a goalie facing your old team. The game is essentially up to you; it could go either way. It’s even more exciting when you’re facing your old team for the first time and you beat them in a shootout (Insert Jonas Hiller playing against his old team and winning in a shootout reference).