- John Carlson faces the Capitals for the first time tonight in the Lightning’s home opener
- Alex Ovechkin and Tom Wilson also weighed in on the reunion
- Read below for Carlson’s full comments and video from Saturday’s morning skate
John Carlson knows tonight won’t feel normal.
The Lightning defenseman was asked Saturday morning about facing the Capitals for the first time in his career, and he didn’t pretend otherwise.
“I think it’ll be weird,” Carlson said. “Obviously, as soon as the schedule came out, it didn’t take long to see it. I don’t know. We’ll see what happens, but I think, at a minimum, it’ll be a little bit weird here.”
Tampa Bay hosts Washington at 7 p.m. ET at Benchmark International Arena. It’s also Carlson’s first home game in a Lightning sweater:
His new teammates made sure he noticed. They pushed Carlson into the middle of the stretching circle at the end of the skate, and he and Yanni Gourde both got stick taps.
Check out the video:
Washington drafted him 27th overall in 2008, and he spent 17 seasons there before the Capitals shipped him to Anaheim just after 1 a.m. on deadline day last March. He said he figured he’d finish his career there “pretty much every day up until that.”
He also talked about what the move meant for his wife and four kids.
“I spent half my life there,” Carlson said. “It’s a little different feelings and emotions that are tied to all that, just the sheer time and effort and everything. My kids have been there longer than most players. So, from all standpoints, it was a shock.”
After helping the Ducks snap an eight-year playoff drought, the 36-year-old signed a two-year, $17 million deal with Tampa Bay on July 1. This game was on our revenge game list the moment the schedule dropped.
No defenseman in Capitals history has more goals (166), assists (605), points (771) or games (1,143). He also won the Stanley Cup there in 2018.
The guys in the other room feel it too. Alex Ovechkin talked about lining up against his old teammate with NHL.com’s Tom Gulitti.
“It’s going to be tough, but it’s a business,” Ovechkin said. “He’s a great friend, unbelievable leader. I miss this guy in the locker room.”
Tom Wilson, who played 13 seasons with Carlson, was asked what to expect from him tonight.
“He’s definitely not going to take it easy on us,” Wilson said.
Lightning head coach Jon Cooper spoke about Carlson after the skate as well:
A big night from him would help. The Lightning dropped their opener 5-1 to the Rangers on Thursday, a game Cooper called “an inconvenience to play.” Washington rolls in fresh off Alex Tuch’s two-goal debut in a win over Carolina.
Once the puck drops, Carlson figures the weirdness fades after a few shifts. He expects the bigger moment to come March 15, when the Lightning visit Washington for the first time this season.
“That one will probably feel a lot different,” Carlson said.
