The elder Giroux read the lineups to a loud and ready Flyers locker room but didn't announce his son, feigning as if he'd forgotten his name. When he did, after a beat, the room erupted.
It was just the start of a special night for the veteran of 15 NHL seasons, all with the Flyers.
Giroux was given a slew of gifts. Hockey Hall of Fame forward Bobby Clarke, the only other Flyers player to register 1,000 games with the team, presented him with the traditional silver stick. The NHL presented Giroux with a Tiffany crystal.
"It was awesome," Giroux said. "The fans and the organization, my teammates, they've been so good to me for so many years."
After all the pomp and circumstance, the Flyers completed a comeback 5-4 win against the Nashville Predators.
"I just had a chance to see my family and friends and I was also pretty emotional after the game with my teammates," Giroux said. "They gave me the player of the game sweater which I did not deserve one bit. But it was a fun night and to get the win on top of it obviously made it more special."
"Incredibly emotional for [Giroux] in particular and obviously, all of his teammates," Yeo said. "It's hard to put it into words I guess, but you know, I'm just really happy for him to get this win and to have it happen like this."
The team also gave him a custom-made piece of artwork created by a local artist Patrick Higgins. His teammates gifted him an engraved Rolex watch and offered engraved tennis bracelet to his wife, Ryanne, along with mini silver sticks for his sons Gavin and Palmer.
And yes, Gritty also did something special for his favorite player.
