Photo Credit: Eric Hartline/USA Today Images
Claude Giroux registered his first NHL point way back on Dec. 30, 2008. That was 4,756 days ago.
Last night, the Flyers captain moved into sole possession of second place all-time in points in Flyers franchise history with 884 points. It was career assist number 600 for the NHL veteran as well.
A little less than five minutes into the first period with the Flyers on the power play, Giroux fed James van Riemsdyk in the slot who fired it past Seattle Kraken goaltender Phillip Grubauer to give the Flyers an early 1-0 lead. He also assisted on the game-winning goal scored by Ivan Provorov.
The 33-year-old Flyers forward has played in 973 regular season games with the Flyers. He was drafted 22nd overall in the first round of the 2006 NHL Entry Draft. He’s set to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the 2021-22 season.
Over the years, Giroux has solidified his legacy as one of the greatest Flyers’ of all-time. He not only is the current longest tenured Flyer, but he’s also the longest tenured athlete in the city of Philadelphia at the moment.
As of today, Giroux ranks first all-time in Flyers franchise history in power play points with 335. He ranks second in games played (973), assists (601), and points (885). He currently sits ninth all-time in goals in franchise history with 284.
Some other impressive feats that Giroux has pulled off during his career include finishing top ten in points per game in the NHL three times (2011-12, 1.21 (2nd), 2013-14, 1.05 (7th), 2017-18, 1.24 (6th)), six all-star game appearances, and three top ten finishes in voting for the Hart Memorial Trophy. He also leads the NHL in power play points since the start of the 2010-11 season with 308 points on the man-advantage. That’s more than the likes of NHL superstars Alex Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby.
The Flyers named Giroux the 19th captain in franchise history back in 2013. He has since captained the Flyers to four playoff appearances but has come up short of the ultimate prize, the Stanley Cup.
The long-time Flyer may very well return following the 2021-22 season. However, Flyers general manager Chuck Fletcher would have to ink the captain to a new deal. Giroux has expressed his love for the city of Philadelphia and the Flyers time and time again but at the end of the day it’s a business and it would have to workout for both sides in order for him to return.
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Whether this is his last year with the Flyers or not, Giroux will go down as one of the greatest Flyers ever.
Claude Giroux shows his love for the team and the city with his performance on a nightly basis. He does not take nights off, not even shifts off. He has been the reliable bright spot on this team year after year. When there are rumors of playing bird in the hand for two in the bush with him during a season where he is setting multiple franchise records is it smacks of a total lack of gratitude. You are never going to get back what you lose if you let a player like Giroux bear the blame of others who do not share the same commitment and drive. This team should be Claude’s as long as he wants and earns it. And he is definitely still earning it every game. He comes through over and over again.