BOSTON — Tyler Seguin came back to Boston as a member of the opposition Tuesday night. That’s the only way he wants it going forward.
The ex-Bruins forward was rather candid following the Dallas Stars’ shootout win, and it became pretty clear that he’s already ruled out a return to the Bruins at any point in his career. After an unceremonious end to his time with the B’s, Seguin has seen enough of the organization and insists he’d rather be somewhere he’s appreciated.
“I’ve been that asked that question a few times if I got a contract or a trade to come back here or asked, I don’t think I’d come back,” Seguin said after the shootout win in which he scored one of the Stars’ goals. “In the end, you wanna play where you’re wanted. I have great relationships with the my coach and my GM here. I know they want me. It feels great to play here. ”
Seguin’s divorce from the Bruins certainly wasn’t pretty. The 21-year-old was shipped to Dallas in July after being called out publicly by the club with general manager Peter Chiarelli stating that Seguin needed to mature as a pro. After the July 4 trade, reports of Seguin’s alleged off-ice habits (partying) started to come out. Things got even worse for the relationship in hindsight when a good portion of Behind the B — a behind-the-scenes look at the Bruins — revealed members of the front office questioning whether Seguin had any sort of future with the club.
That apparently carried over, for the fans at least, on Tuesday night. Seguin got a mixed reaction when he was introduced as a member of the starting lineup. He and fellow former Bruins forward Rich Peverley were honored in the first period with a video tribute, which also got a mix of boos and cheers. From there, though, Seguin was booed every time he touched the puck and the sing-songy “Seguin” chant made a few appearances over the course of the night.
“I’ve seen a lot of players come back here,” Seguin said. “Popular athletes, which I was in this city, I’m sure there’s mixed feelings out there. I can just go out there and play hockey.”
It’s hard to believe that didn’t motivate Seguin on Tuesday, as he had a solid game, which included an improved performance in the faceoff dot after being called out by his head coach Lindy Ruff.
“It was 100 percent a special game,” Seguin said. “I knew where this was on the calendar, I knew when we were coming to Boston. Obviously the win not only for me personally, but for the team, that was a great identity win for us. I know they’re one of the best teams in the league, but we found a way.”
