It feels like just yesterday when Claude Giroux was the lone experienced voice in the Ottawa Senators` locker room.
During the Senators` rebuilding phase, losses were frequent, and Giroux often found himself explaining to reporters what went wrong and what needed improvement. His weary expression reflected the pain of defeat for a competitor of his caliber.
A single veteran player can only do so much to guide a young team through its growing pains.
But now, Giroux no longer questions when the young players will step up. They are already doing it.
Regarding his role as the veteran spokesperson, Giroux now has plenty of support with the arrivals of David Perron, Nick Cousins, Michael Amadio, and Linus Ullmark, among others.
Always approachable, Giroux now sports a bright smile that uplifts the entire dressing room. Those around the rink frequently comment on how happy Giroux appears in his third season with Ottawa.
“What’s with that?” jokes winger Drake Batherson, when asked about Giroux’s grin. “Did he get a new set of golf clubs or something?”
Perhaps. Giroux is a keen golfer. However, a more probable reason is that Giroux is content both in his personal and professional life. He and his wife Ryanne are parents to three young sons: Gavin, 5, Palmer, 3, and Charlie, six months old. Watching Gavin and Palmer play around the rink is reminiscent of when the young Alfredsson boys used to buzz around the Senators` dressing room.
For the first time since former general manager Pierre Dorion signed Giroux in July 2022, Giroux is entering the playoffs with his hometown Ottawa team. (Although born in Hearst, Ontario, Giroux and his family relocated to the Ottawa area when he was a Bantam-level player).
“Obviously, it’s much more enjoyable when you’re winning,” Giroux states. “When you win, many problems resolve themselves.”
Giroux mentions that he is particularly impressed by the team`s defensive commitment under new head coach Travis Green. The young Senators, led offensively by Tim Stützle, Brady Tkachuk, Jake Sanderson, and Thomas Chabot, have always had scoring ability. This season, they have reduced their goals against to 2.8 from 3.4 the previous year, ranking fourth best in the Atlantic Division.
Giroux, 37, signed with the Senators precisely for this opportunity—to contend. He is back in a position he aimed for after eight playoff seasons with the Philadelphia Flyers, including half as captain, and one season with Florida.
“I knew that as a young team, we would have much to learn as a group,” he says in an interview at the Canadian Tire Centre. “We have matured as a team. We’ve started adopting a different approach to win games. I am proud of our team and our ability to achieve that.”
Tristan Blackwood