Patric Hornqvist was back in a familiar spot Thursday.
Near the crease of one of the net in PPG Paints Arena.
Thursday’s contest between the Florida Panthers and Pittsburgh Penguins was the first in Pittsburgh since Hornqvist was traded south to the Panthers in exchange for defenseman Mike Matheson and forward Colton Sceviour in September of 2020.
During the first television stoppage, Hornqvist’s return was recognized with a customary video presentation the Penguins typically offer to recognize ex-players, particularly those who helped the franchise win the Stanley Cup, upon their first return to Pittsburgh as an opponent.
Patric Hornqvist’s homecoming: pic.twitter.com/RtnmAN2I5e
— Seth Rorabaugh (@SethRorabaugh) November 12, 2021
Hornqvist was one of the more vital members of the Penguins’ two most recent championship squads in 2016 and ’17. In fact, the rambunctious power forward, who has vexed just about every opposing goaltender he stepped on the ice with, scored the Stanley Cup-clinching goal in Game 6 of the 2017 final.
“It feels great to be back,” Hornqvist said following his current team’s morning skate. “I had a lot of great hockey in this city, and the city really took care of me. We won two (Stanley Cup championships). There’s a lot of emotion, obviously.”
Hornqvist’s emotions don’t just lie with the Penguins. He expressed affection for the region, as well.
“Those are obviously the two big ones when you win the (Stanley) Cup, back to back,” Hornqvist said. “No one said we could do it in the (salary) cap era. Overall, people really took care of me here. I love the city. My kids grew up and one was born here. So we’ve got a lot of good memories from the city, too.”
As for his current locale, Hornqvist is fond of living and working in South Florida. But his individual season has not been all that satisfactory, at least to him.
Primarily deployed on the fourth line as of late, Hornqvist has scored six points (one goal, five assists) this season.
“My season so far hasn’t been the best,” Hornqvist said. “I know I can play better. As a team, we’ve been playing great. I have to find a way to be better every single night.”
