Jack Eichel of the Vegas Golden Knights booed fans at the return to Buffalo

Jack Eichel He didn’t hold back on his return to Buffalo Thursday night. The Golden Knights played their first game against the Sabers since being traded to Vegas on November 4, coming out on the losing end with a 3-1 decision.

Eshel, 25, was Buffalo’s second overall pick in the 2015 NHL draft entry, and was captain from 2018 to 21. But the relationship soured last season, which led to a trade.

Eichel was in the starting lineup in Vegas to tilt Thursday and received a healthy number of boos from the crowd every time he touched the disc. The Sabers showed a video in honor of him during the first TV lead time as well, drawing more boos — and applause — from the season’s 12,437 crowd.

However, it was Eshel who got the last word.

“It’s the highest score I’ve ever heard in this place,” Eshel said after the match. “Really.” “It only took me seven years and I left for them to get into the game. It was a good greeting. There were a lot of people here who were supporting me, and there were a lot of people who yelled at me. They must have been booing me because they wish I was what I was. I’m still here, I don’t know.”

It wasn’t just booing that rained down on Eshel as well. While patrolling the snowboard during Thursday’s warm-up, Eshel greeted a few banners along the panels at Keybank Center that ranged from optimistic, “Welcome back, Jack!” To an indignant, “Thanks for nothing, Eshel.”

When the last bell went off, a fan threw Eichel Sabers’ sweater on the ice as well.

In another wrinkle, both Buffalo players got into the Eichel trade – Beton Crisps And the Alex Touch – Record in the victory of the sword. Eshel finished himself minus one, with two shots on target in 17:31.

Over 375 games with the Saber, Eshel has produced 139 goals and 355 points. He returned to Buffalo after just 10 games from his Golden Knights, having been out for several months following her herniated disc surgery in November. The midfield reached the ground with three goals and seven points ahead of Thursday.

Even if the outcome wasn’t what Eshel had hoped for, he was happy to make this homecoming.

“I’m so glad it’s over,” he said. “Just go ahead.” “It’s not an easy game to play by any means. I’m not going to stand here and say it was. It’s frustrating. We wanted to win here but we didn’t.”

Eshel said he tried all the time to keep his focus on the game itself. When his video was played, there was plenty of footage of Eichel’s various charitable endeavors, many of them involving city youth.

“I was trying not to watch it,” he said. “I’ll look at it again.” “In the case of play, I didn’t want to get irritated, especially when you start to involve some of the kids and some of the things I did in the community, which hit me with me. But I do appreciate the appreciation and that’s a nice thing people here are cheering for me.”

The Eichel in this video probably never imagined where his path with the Sabers would go.

The relationship between the team and the player began to deteriorate in the middle of Eshel’s sixth season. He sustained a neck injury during a Buffalo game on March 7, 2021, and by April, the team announced that Eshel had finished the season due to a herniated disc.

Eichel’s treatment of choice was surgery, which was never performed on an NHL player. But Eshel was the star of the Sabers and barely entered into an eight-year, $80 million deal he signed in 2018. The club wouldn’t let him have the operation he wanted, instead championing rest and rehabilitation.

The predicament did not harmonize with Eshel.

“I’ve been a little upset about the way things have been handled since I got hurt,” Eshel told reporters in May. “I would be lying to say that things have gone smoothly since my injury. There was some kind of disconnect, I think, from the organization and me. It was difficult at times.”

By boot camp, the relationship seemed irreparable. General Manager Sabers Kevin Adams It was announced last September that not only had Eshel been stripped of Cypress’ captaincy, he had failed in his physical abilities and would not be available to start the season.

Adams did not rule out Eichel trading at the time but took his time putting a deal together. In exchange for shipping Eichel to Vegas, Buffalo received striker Tuch, Krebs, and first and second hauls.

After a week of trading, Eshel had disc replacement surgery at the Rocky Mountain Spine Clinic in Denver. It debuted in Vegas on February 17th.