After three great moments before the Ottawa Senators home opener Saturday, a 5-2 victory over the Flyers was icing on the cake.
The Ottawa Senators' home opener is always one to circle on the hockey calendar.
Two years ago, the Senators introduced newly-signed Brady Tkachuk after signing a long term contract. Last year, just days away from entering the Hockey Hall of Fame, Daniel Alfredsson dropped the puck for the ceremonial faceoff.
So Saturday's home opener had a couple of really tough acts to follow. But they pulled it off, big time, with three very special moments.
First, Claude Giroux was honoured for hitting 1000 points last season. With his family on the ice, and fans applauding loudly, Giroux was presented with a silver stick by Alfredsson who had his first official day on the job Friday, finally returning to the organization in a player development/coaching role. An iconic moment.
Then Michael Andlauer, in his first home opener as the Senators' new owner, dropped the puck in the ceremonial faceoff. He had Anna and Olivia Melnyk to his left for the photo op, which felt like a passing of the torch to a new era.
The last time the Flyers visited Ottawa, back in March, everyone was excited that actor Ryan Reynolds was in attendance. Seven months later, despite his lack of box office success, Andlauer was the celebrity. He was the interview everyone wanted. Cameras panned over to his grinning mug like he was Taylor Swift at a Chiefs game.
After the game – further proof of his new celebrity status – fans even lined up on the stairs of the lower bowl, leading to the owner's suite, waiting to get their picture taken with him. Andlauer happily obliged on all counts.
That's about million miles away from where we were five years ago during the #MelnykOut campaign, when Ottawa fans crowdfunded for money to rent billboards that encouraged Eugene Melnyk to sell the franchise.
And finally, in a blast of nostalgia for Senators fans, longtime anthem singer Lyndon Slewidge returned to the role he held for years with the club, and belted out O Canada as well as he ever did.
In front of a sellout crowd, the Senators then went out and got a feisty 5-2 victory over the Flyers – their first of the new season, and the perfect way to end "A Beautiful Day."