Claude Giroux was asked if playing for the Florida Panther is enjoyable. He said that they were winning. Giroux went from the draft lottery-bound Philadelphia Flyers to the Presidents' Trophy winning Florida panthers at the NHL trade deadline. He moved from moroseness to merriment. He moved from a team that was 31st in goals per game to a team that had the best scoring average (4.11) since the 1995-96 season. Watching a panthers game can be exhilarating and exhausting, as they push the pace and constantly create. You learn how to manage ice time. Giroux said it took him a couple of games to rest. It is a fast pace. Knowing where your teammates are is important. When you get used to it, your job gets easier. It was definitely an adjustment. Giroux has played in 18 regular-season games and three playoffs with the panthers. Philadelphia was still in a wintery chill when shipping down to Sunrise, Florida. He admitted that he still has shopping to do for a South Florida wardrobe. Giroux went from being the face of his franchise to just one of many. What is it like to have Claude Giroux on your team? For someone who has been in Philadelphia for a long time, and has been the face of the franchise for a while, we all understood that when you move somewhere new. He came in with an open heart. Giroux made his NHL debut in 2008 and the last time he walked into a new locker room was in 2008. Giroux was drafted 22nd overall by Philadelphia in 2006 and was a promising forward in the Quebec Major Junior League. For the next 15 seasons and 1,000 games, he would be a star on the team. He had 900 points, including 609 assists, as he was the 10th active player in helpers. He was fourth in the Hart Trophy voting in the best season of his career in Philadelphia. In 2012 his coach Peter Laviolette casually referred to Giroux as "the best player in the world" after he outplayed Sidney Crosby in the playoffs. The Stanley Cup Final will be broadcasted on ABC, along with one conference finals series on ESPN.
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Laviolette said that Giroux is a high-end player and that he brings a lot of different things. He adds balance and depth to an attack that already has a lot of power.
Giroux left Philadelphia in a strange way. A pending unrestricted free agent, he had a no-movement clause in his contract, which he could change if he wanted to.
Giroux played in his 1,000th career game on St. Patrick's Day, despite his departure from the Flyers all but a foregone conclusion. The night became a farewell party. His teammates took the ice for warm-ups in jerseys with his No. 28 on the front. Giroux took a lap around the ice to salute the fans after the game, as his teammates banged their sticks on the ice.
I feel like I have a good relationship with the fans and the city. I understand them. Giroux said after the game that they get him.
He moved to South Florida four days later.
He is a unique, one-of-a-kind player, according to the GM.
Giroux was an impact player for Laviolette when he was in Philadelphia.
When Florida acquired Giroux, Laviolette thought the rich got richer.
It was new for Giroux. He was the biggest star in the franchise for about a decade.
It is definitely different. The organization will rely on you for a lot of things when you are a captain. I am not in that position now. He said it was definitely a change.
Brunette was happy to add him to a room that also included Barkov and Thornton.
You can never have too many former captains in your room.
What is it like playing with Claude Giroux?
Jonathan Huberdeau said that he wasTerrible. A good person. Good guy. He knows the game.
It took a few games for him to get to know his new teammates, and he said that getting chemistry with guys that you have never played with before was his greatest challenge.
It takes more than one practice or game. Being in a situation where you can read off your teammates is what it is about. He said that it was not there early on, but you slowly get to know where the guys are going to be.
He found a special chemistry with the 28-year-old left wing. The duo was dubbed by locals. Giroux had 23 points by the end of the regular season.
He is somebody special. He made the finals in the playoffs. We need that experience.
Giroux joined classes in the last weeks of senior year, like an exchange student. The chemistry of the team was well-established.
The locker room is tight and the captain is confident. He knows what he can do.
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Giroux said he was happy to blend in.
I believe that you don't need a letter to lead. He said that he was not going to change who he was.
Brunette believes in leadership. He played Giroux on a line with a young center named Anton Lundell. Giroux wants to win the Stanley Cup for the first time in his career.
He just wants to win. Brunette said that guys like that integrate themselves to the team.
Being on the team is enjoyable.
We go out there and have fun. Giroux said that is one of the reasons they are successful.
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