RALEIGH, N.C. — An extended standing ovation greeted Eric Staal after a video tribute in his honor was played on the scoreboard during a timeout some six minutes into the first period in the former captain’s return to the only NHL place he ever had called home before his trade to the Rangers on Feb. 28.
Staal, who had just been denied on a backhand in front by longtime friend and teammate Cam Ward, with whom he’d shared the 2006 Stanley Cup victory, raised his stick in a salute to the fans as he stood in front of the Blueshirts’ bench.
Then, perhaps prompted, Staal took a pair of turns in the neutral zone while players from both squads remained at or on their benches, tapping their sticks in their own salute to No. 12.
“As hockey players, [being part of a team] is what we are and what the culture is. It’s not about you,” Staal said after the Blueshirts’ 4-3 defeat here Thursday. “When something like this occurs, it can be awkward. It was different, but it was special at the same time. It doesn’t happen very often.”
The game marked the culmination of an emotional day for Staal, who was greeted by a picture collage featuring the moments of his life as a Hurricane with the message #ThankYouEric that was taped to a wall at PNC Arena on the corridor leading to the Rangers’ locker room, the place for visitors in which the former Carolina captain dressed for the first time.
There was Staal with the 2006 Stanley Cup; Staal with his bride, Tanya; Staal, now 31, as a teenager; Staal with long hair; Staal posing with fans — Staal through the years.
“I thought it was really cool, actually,” Staal said before the match for which his parents, Henry and Linda, watched from a suite as sons Eric and Marc wore white and Jordan wore red. “Where you’re somewhere as long as I’ve been, there’s an attachment to the area and to the people. For them to do something like that, it kind of brings back lots of memories.
“A lot of pictures. I was pretty young in them, long locks,” he said. “Some moments you’ll never forget, so it was pretty cool. I’m thankful people took time to come up with pictures like that and memories I’ll remember forever.”
Patrick Brown, the 23-year-old grandson of the late Giants’ owner Wellington Mara, scored the first goal of his NHL career to give the ’Canes a 1-0 lead at 11:05 of the first period by going top shelf on Henrik Lundqvist.
Brown, who has played four games this season and 11 in his career, is the son of Doug Brown, who began his career with the Devils in the mid-’80s and won two Cups for Detroit. Patrick Brown, who played with Kevin Hayes at Boston College, has “Wellington” as his middle name.
Rick Nash, who played only 14:44, scored his third goal in the last five games. Chris Kreider got his third goal in the last three games and fifth in the last 10, including three on the power play. Kreider has 19 goals overall, two shy of his personal best set last year.