ST. LOUIS – A longtime fan-favorite in St. Louis was treated to a warm welcome back and a nearly teared up during a standing ovation Tuesday evening.
David Perron, after three stints with the Blues and a 2019 Stanley Cup Championship, returned to the Enterprise Center on Tuesday for the first time since departing in free agency over the offseason.
Perron’s 196 goals and 465 points with St. Louis rank among franchise bests. The former first-round pick finished with a career-high 27 goals in his final season with the Blues and averaged nearly a point-per-game in his latest four-year stint, which also led to the franchise’s only Stanley Cup.
Perron received a standing ovation from the St. Louis crowd and was honored with a video tribute during a break in the first period.
“Just a surreal moment that I don’t think I ever thought I would get to this point, but these fans are unbelievable and it means a lot,” Perron said. “Obviously, I had to just kind of try and stay composed for a bit there and barely did it.”
Perron also had an assist in the game and attempted to score in a shootout. The Red Wings ended up defeating the Blues, 3-2, though Perron’s returned overshadowed the score with both teams almost out of playoff contention.
The Blues also honored two other former teammates in goaltender Ville Husso and defenseman Jake Walman. St. Louis heads to Detroit for another game with the Red Wings, an original division rival, on Thursday.
