I remember that playoff series against Pittsburgh in 2009 when Ed Snider walked into the Flyers dressing room afterward.
The FLyers chairman wasn't happy with the playoff loss but he said the future really looked bright and pointed to Claude Giroux as the team's next super star.
A few years later, Giroux has emerged as the face of the franchise, a player who is loved throughout the organization.
His 2nd consecutive All-Star appearance is a testament to how people in the NHL feel about him. He has arrived.
Flyers president Peter Luukko told me a story this week that I used on Giroux in my piece on CNSPhilly.com.
The team was in the midst of its long playoff run to the Cup Final in 2010 when Luukko found a quiet moment on the road to talk to Giroux.
“I grabbed him and said, ‘Hey Claude, I want you to know that I really appreciate all the stuff you’ve been doing,’ ” Luukko recalled. “ It’s really important to the business side of hockey. We really appreciate what you are doing.”
Giroux, then 22, replied, “If I’m not doing enough, you tell me.”
What further impressed Luukko was that it was genuine.
"He could have said, thank you, what you want, no problem, but he didn't," Luukko said. "That's he answer most guus would have given you. He meant what he said about doing more if necessary."
If Giroux can remain healthy and concussion free - yeah, he's already had one _ there's no telling what he can accomplish.
I'm looking forward to how he plays here this weekend when the shinny hockey begins.
Here's my story from CSNPhilly.com:
click here 
Philadelphia Flyers Blogger • 
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