MONTREAL – The tears came even as P.K. Subban smiled and waved to the Bell Centre fans.
Tears streaked his cheeks as the former Canadiens defenceman got a long standing ovation before his first game back in Montreal as a Nashville Predator on Thursday night.
Chants of “P.K., P.K.” filled the 21,000 seat arena as a video montage of his flashy moves on the ice as a Canadien from 2009 until he was dealt to Nashville last June 29. The Toronto native stood at the blue-line with his teammates for the pre-game tribute and soaked it all in.
READ MORE: OPINION: An encounter with P.K. Subban, away from the cameras
Subban was injured when the Canadien won 2-1 in Nashville in January, so it was his first game against the team that drafted him in the second round in 2007 and then watched him blossom into a star. Subban, who won a Norris Trophy as the NHL’s top defenceman in 2013, helped the Canadiens become a contender in the league’s Eastern Conference.
Along the way, he became hugely popular, not only for his skill and go-for-broke style on the ice, but for his bubbly personality, his close connection with the fans and his charitable works.
On Wednesday, he was awarded a medal for meritorious service by Governor General David Johnston for his 2015 pledge to raise $10 million for the Montreal Children’s Hospital.
WATCH: P.K. Subban charity work honoured by Governor General
Many fans were crushed when general manager Marc Bergevin opted to trade Subban to Nashville for Shea Weber in a swap of star defencemen.
But the fans showed they haven’t forgotten. Many wore jerseys, either from the Canadiens or the Predators, with his No. 76 on the back.