Flames fans didn’t forget the fashion in which Boston Bruins defenseman Nikita Zadorov exited Calgary last season.
After two-plus seasons with the Flames, the 6-foot-6, 248-pound defenseman requested a trade a month into the campaign. Calgary granted his wish, sending him to the Vancouver Canucks before Zadorov signed with the Bruins this past offseason.
Tuesday night’s thrilling 4-3 overtime win for Boston wasn’t Zadorov’s first time back in the Scotiabank Saddledome since the trade. But the boos still came his way when he stepped onto the ice for his first shift.
And the jeers didn’t get Zadorov down. Instead, it brought a smile to his face.
“Oh yeah. I wasn’t sure what to expect,” Zadorov told reporters. “But it was only one shift. Last year, it was every shift.”
Flames fans had plenty of chances to let their feelings known about Zadorov if they wanted to since he played alongside Charlie McAvoy on Boston’s top defense pairing. He received 20:25 of ice time — second to only McAvoy — in the win.
Zadorov’s return to Calgary wasn’t the only homecoming for a member of the Bruins. Elias Lindholm made his first trip back to play the franchise he spent parts of six seasons with, and he received a much more welcoming reception from the home crowd than Zadorov. The Flames even played a tribute video for Lindholm during the first period.
Lindholm, who was teammates with Zadorov in both Calgary and Vancouver, made sure to mark the occasion with a goal and an assist on Marc McLaughlin’s game-tying tally in the third period.
“Probably a lot,” Zadorov said on what the goal meant to Lindholm. “Obviously, he’s been a big part of this organization for six years, so coming back first game — I remember my emotions last year was upside down. You didn’t know what to expect. It’s been your home for so long, and now you’re not there. So, I felt good for (Lindholm) to get that goal against his old team.”
