Everybody knew Erik Karlsson’s return to Ottawa would be a big event. But the Sharks made sure their newest defenseman got the respect he deserved Saturday.
The rest of Team Teal hung back in the tunnel ahead of pregame warmups at Canadian Tire Centre so the former Senators captain could take a solo lap around the ice.
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While that tradition typically is reserved for rookies, Karlsson's new San Jose teammates clearly wanted to give him the opportunity to properly say hello to Senators fans, who gave him a round of applause when he took the ice and had plenty of signs for him along the glass.
This wasn’t the first time on this road trip that the Sharks visibly showed support for Karlsson in what undoubtedly is an emotional reunion for him. When the Sharks took the ice for practice Friday at the University of Ottawa, they gave Karlsson a round of stick taps in front of a sea of Canadian media getting their first look at him since he was traded to San Jose two months ago.
Karlsson registered 126 goals and 392 assists in 627 games over nine seasons with the Senators.