Boston Bruins' Jarome Iginla walks out to skate at his old stomping grounds at the Saddledome in Calgary, Alta., Monday, Dec. 9, 2013.The Canadian Press
They came to pay homage to a former star and red jerseys with the iconic No. 12 on the back were in evidence all over the Saddledome on Tuesday night.
Jarome Iginla, the leading scorer in the history of the Calgary Flames, returned to the city where he became a star and the city's most beloved sports icon, and the fans went out of their way to pay their respects.
There was a video tribute for Iginla that moved the former Calgary captain, now a member of the Boston Bruins, to tears.
And when Iginla made his was to centre ice to participate in the ceremonial opening faceoff, the cheering of the fans rose to ear-shattering levels.
The fans would be standing for "Iggy" at the start of the game and once again at the end, when he was named the game's third star in what would be a 2-1 Boston victory.
"It was definitely emotional," Iginla would say after it was all over. "I really appreciated the fans. It was a cool feeling and it felt special and the ovation there at the start and then you kind of feel funny out there standing by yourself. Thinking back, I was saying just a bit ago, you think back just trying to make the NHL and then you kind of reflect on all the years being able to play for a great organization here in Calgary and all the fun I've had so far in my career. I feel very fortunate and blessed."
Great 8 continues to be great for the Washington Capitals.
After the Washington Capitals spotted the Tampa Bay Lightning a big early lead, they turned to Alex Ovechkin to fix things up.
Ovechkin responded, scoring four times in a sublime display of efficiency and pure goal-scoring power, leading the Capitals to a 6-5 shootout win over the Lightning.
It was Ovechkin's third four-goal performance of his career and he padded his lead in the National Hockey League's goal-scoring race now having scored 26 times on the season.
The Montreal Canadiens have been playing well of late after going 9-0-1 over their previous 10 games, but don't try telling defenceman Josh Gorges that the Habs were due for a poor performance.
Montreal got clubbed by the Los Angeles Kings 6-0 in a game that Gorges said should lead to some soul-searching.
Fans would often accuse the Florida Panthers of being unwatchable.
Now, it is official.
In a development that can only be described as perplexing, arena employees threw up a replacement pane of glass in the third period of the Panthers game against the Detroit Red Wings that fans could not see through.
As a Panthers spokesman later tried to explain, technical difficulties resulted in workers having to install a "third-string" pane of glass, with its protective backing still affixed.
Halladay says thanks in a newspaper ad
Roy Halladay signed a one-day contract with the Toronto Blue Jays on Monday so he could retire with the team where he spent his first 12 Major League Baseball seasons.
On Tuesday, Halladay took out a full-page ad in a Philadelphia newspaper thanking Phillies fans for their support over the last four years.
In what is sure to create a bit of a stir among Yankee fans, former centrefielder Curtis Granderson took a bit of a dig at his former employer after agreeing to a four-year, $60-million deal with the cross-town New York Mets.
"A lot of the people I've met in New York have always said true New Yorkers are Mets fans," Granderson said. "So I'm excited to get a chance to see them all out there."
Yankees general manager Brian Cashman did not seem offended by Granderson's casual remark, saying New York is big enough to accommodate fans of both organizations.
Granderson said it was something that he heard repeatedly after signing with with his new team
Regardless, he said it will make for an interesting moment when he returns to Yankee Stadium to play for the first time with the Mets.
"Whether it's cheers or boos I'm looking forward to it," he said.
The Globe's Robert MacLeod curates the best of sports on the web most weekday mornings