ST. LOUIS -- David Perron knew it was coming. The actual moment was still going to allow the emotions to come through. Just how much was the question.
Red Wings forward David Perron (front) watches with the Detroit bench at a video tribute honoring Perron in his return to St. Louis after departing as a free agent last summer.With 8:40 remaining in the first period of a Detroit Red Wings 3-2 shootout win over the Blues on Tuesday at Enterprise Center, the clip on the jumbotron started. Perron had to focus.
"Don't cry basically," Perron said postgame.
Fat chance of that.
As the clip was playing all of Perron's highlights throughout his Blues career, which started after they drafted him in the first round (No. 26) of the 2007 NHL Draft, it ended with his shots of winning the Stanley Cup with the Blues in 2019.
It was part of Perron's third stint with the Blues that has encapsulated through 673 regular-season games from 2007-13, 2916-17 and 2018-22 and 77 postseason games.
Perron has compiled 465 points (196 goals, 269 assists) in the regular season and he scored seven goals and nine assists (16 points) in 26 playoff games in 2019 en route to the Cup.
As the nearly two-minute video neared its climax, the building got louder, the fans stood on their feet, Perron's former Blues teammates all came onto the ice to give him an ovation as he circled pounding his fist against his heart and pointing at the fans.
"It's extremely humbling," Perron said after assisting on a first-period goal. "I don't know, like even going on the ice for warm-ups, seeing all the signs, I've never experienced anything like that. Just kind of looking around, everyone was yelling and hitting on the glass, I had to kind of gather myself even in warm-up, and then once again even like getting the assist and you hear the cheers again and then the video.
"Just a surreal moment that I don't think I've ever thought I would get to this point, but these fans are unbelievable and it means a lot. Obviously, I had to just kind of try and stay composed for a bit there and barely did it."
Of the 20 players dressed for the Blues Tuesday, 17 of them have at one point in time played with Perron, including Stanley Cup teammates Brayden Schenn, Robert Thomas, Robert Bortuzzo, Colton Parayko, Sammy Blais and Jordan Binnington.
"He said after he felt like Brett Hull or Bernie Federko there after he got a heck of an ovation," Schenn said. "Like I said before, people love him around town, he’s been here for a long time and well-deserved."
Robert Bortuzzo, who scored a Robert 'Orrtuzzo-like' goal in the first period, also said the tribute and ensuing reaction was well-deserved.
"Yeah, it was," he said. "It’s always good to see some old faces. You could tell by the ovation he got there how much he meant to this city and this organization. Always fun to see old faces. Pretty cool video they did for him.
"The relationship between him and the town is pretty strong. It came out there both from him and from the crowd. We were happy to see that for him. He definitely earned it."
"He's a well-respected guy here, did a lot of for this team and this organization," Blues coach Craig Berube said. "A very well-liked guy. Well-deserved."
Perron had an assist on Alex Chiasson's tying goal on the power play that made it 1-1 in the first period and finished with 19:06 time on ice; he also missed on a shootout attempt in the second round. But that was far from his mind on a night that will stay embedded with him after he signed with the Red Wings last off-season, getting a two-year, $9 million contract after the Blues failed to bring him back.
"I don't know, like just all the memories from watching the video a little bit from the start to now basically and having the chance to go through that with every single person that I encountered over the years, it was special," Perron said. "I appreciate (the Blues') support. I pointed at their bench to say thank you. Obviously without them, I'm not here at all and probably sitting at home not playing hockey anymore. ... Most of those guys over there, without them, we don't have the success as an organization and I don't have any success as an individual without those guys. They're really special.
"I'm happy it's over in a way because I can just play hockey now. I really didn't know what to expect coming back, just kind of emotional over the summer and waiting for the game and all that to happen, they did a phenomenal job. I'm just lucky to be a part of that. The only thing that's missing is I didn't get to go back to my old neighborhood."
The Blues also recognized goalie Ville Husso and defenseman Jake Walman, each making their first appearances since leaving St. Louis.
Red Wings defenseman Jake Walman (left) and goalie Ville Husso were recognized by the Blues on Tuesday upon each making his respective first return to St. Louis.Walman was traded to the Red Wings, along with Oskar Sundqvist on March 21, 2022 for Nick Leddy, and Husso's rights were traded to the Red Wings on July 8, 2022 before he signed a three-year contract with the Red Wings to be their No. 1 goalie.