Guentzel receives standing ovation after tribute video in return to Pittsburgh

Former Pittsburgh Penguins forward Jake Guentzel received a warm welcome from his old city on Tuesday.

The Pittsburgh faithful gave their old forward a standing ovation after the team played a tribute video for Guentzel, who was traded to the Carolina Hurricanes on March 7 at this year’s trade deadline.

"It's special," said Guentzel. "You look back on all the memories you had here. It's just a cool little touch that they do. So it's pretty cool."

Guentzel was drafted by the Penguins in 2013, and he played the first eight seasons of his career with the team. As a rookie, he helped lead the Penguins to the Stanley Cup championship in 2017 and was the leading scorer in the playoffs with 13 goals in 25 games.

Penguins fans brought various signs to the game to show their support and appreciation for the veteran forward.

The tribute video began with a clip of Guentzel lifting that 2017 Cup, then showed some of his highlights throughout his time with the Penguins, including his goal on his first NHL shift.

Guentzel took in the moment from the ice during the first media timeout, watching the tribute on the big screen at PPG Paints Arena. He then skated onto the ice to acknowledge the standing crowd while both teams gave him stick taps as recognition.

-- NHL.com Independent Correspondent Wes Crosby contributed to this report