Say something – “So much emotion”

Mikael Backlund on the Johnny Hockey chant near the end of the third period:

“I had goosebumps, it was great. A great moment. It was a very special, emotional evening, and at the end it was great to see the fans cheering on his Johnny singing. Gave me goosebumps and made me feel how important he is.”, how much Johnny meant to the city.

On the emotional toll of the evening:

“After the wake and the funeral, you were gassed for a few days and had nothing. After the night by candlelight, I didn’t get out of bed until 3 p.m. the next day. Really, so many emotions. We were like this.” It’s exciting to see the family and their presence here, but also so sad, so many different, mixed emotions, something I’m having to deal with for the first time. But it’s always good to experience some teammates who were also around Johnny, you can swap stories and connect with each other.”

On his team’s performance in the 3-0 win:

“I thought our team played really well. For most of the game I thought we played really solid. It was a big, unconditional victory for us to come home after a tough road trip. I played really well at home.” “We’ve gotten back to the way we know we can play. We have to maintain that now.”

On the celebratory duel with Sean Monahan:

“That meant a lot to me. I thought about him a lot. He, too, had moved to Columbus to be reunited with Johnny. They were so excited to play together. When I saw them at Mang’s wedding this summer, it was possible. “Say how excited they were to have to play together again, it’s heartbreaking, I’ve been thinking about him a lot. It was great to share this moment with him and share the love and support for the family.”