New York, N.Y. — Sure enough, it felt different Thursday for defenseman Marc Staal returning to Madison Square Garden.
Staal played 13 seasons for the New York Rangers before being traded to the Red Wings ahead of the 2020-21 season.
Because of the pandemic, and the resulting scheduling differences, Thursday was Staal's first trip back to New York.
"It's strange," Staal said after the morning skate, talking about returning to the rink that was home for a long time. "It's been a couple of years since I've been back here.