OTTAWA -- They were on the road during the Flyers' marvelous run to the Stanley Cup Final in 2010 when Flyers President Peter Luukko approached Claude Giroux.
It was a conversation frozen in time, not for what was said, but for what was unspoken.
Giroux had been the poster boy of an upcoming, future star for the Flyers, who had made himself visible within the organization with promotional appearances.
I grabbed him and said, Hey Claude, I want you to know that I really appreciate all the stuff youve been doing,Luukko recalled. Its really important to the business side of hockey. We really appreciate what you are doing.
Giroux, then 22, replied, If Im not doing enough, you tell me.
His response left Luukko speechless.
I said to Homer general manager Paul Holmgren, Oh my God, this kid is incredible.
NHL
Right then and there, the Flyers had found the next face of the franchise. They just didnt realize it. Yet.
Dont think for a minute that didnt factor into the decision last summer when the Flyers parted ways with then-captain Mike Richards and Jeff Carter. They had already decided that Giroux would be the next young star to lead the franchise.
This weekend as the NHL gathers for its All-Star Game in Ottawa to mark the 20th anniversary of hockey returning to Canadas capital, Giroux will be among five players representing the Flyers.
He is second among all players in scoring with 55 points and is the Flyers first legitimate candidate for both the Hart and Art Ross Trophies since Eric Lindros. He is also among the league leaders in four offensive categories.
Once, the Hearst, Ont., native stood in the shadows of good pals Richards and Carter. Now, Giroux basks in the glow of being an emerging star.
Im a little more comfortable now, said the soft-spoken centerman. Its going to be a pretty exciting weekend, especially since its in Ottawa and I have family and friends. Its going to be a pretty cool weekend.
There are many reasons why Peter Laviolettes club has been a surprise Stanley Cup contender this season, given the major upheaval over the summer whereby more than one-third of the roster was overturned.
Yet the emergence of Giroux as an unofficial captain on the ice cant be downplayed. Just take a look at HBOs "247" if you doubt it. Hes taken the reigns of this club and made it his team.
He now feels this is his destiny.
To me that is what makes him so special, Luukko said. Hes the type of player who expects to play every game great. Hes hard on himself, even when he has played well.
That is that inner drive that he has. No matter what his size or skating or inner strength, that is what makes him rise above other players.
Hes not the first Flyer to come through this metamorphism.
At the 51st NHL All-Star Game in Colorado in 2001, Simon Gagne sat between Mario Lemieux and Joe Sakic in the dressing room.
Gagne was awestruck that weekend. He would turn in a memorable performance that afternoon with a pair of goals as North America defeated the World Team, 14-12. Forget the stats, forget the score.
What mattered was what Gagne gleaned that weekend listening, talking and absorbing beside Lemieux and Sakic. That weekend enabled Gagne to become an Olympian and gain confidence in himself to become a better player in the league.
He found his inner self.
Everything was just great, Gagne said then. I had a chance to play with Mario Lemieux. It was one of my dreams in life.
Although he has been there before, this is what the All-Star Game means to Giroux. A chance to expand his horizons for the future.
Its all the best players from each team, Giroux said. Obviously, you know how they act around the rink, their attitude, theyre all great guys. A lot of leaders. Hopefully, I can learn from that.
Girouxs savvy for seeing the promotional side of the game and how it interacts with the business aspect sets him apart from other young Flyers of the past.
In short, Giroux gets it.
Yet, it hasnt changed how he plays on the ice or how he acts off it.
Whether it is business or the hockey team, you wait for your time to come, Luukko said. Now is Claudes time. It is his opportunity and chance to lead. Some guys step up and some dont. Claude Giroux has stepped up.
Tonight, Giroux will find out who his All-Star teammates, maybe even linemates, are.
Back then, Gagne played on a line with Lemieux and Brett Hull.
I kept telling him to relax, have a good time, Hull said of Gagne. I thought he was fabulous. He's such a nice kid. That is very important. There's a lot of things you can be. But nice and polite will take you a long way.
Giroux is as nice and polite as they come. Hes Gagne, but with a tad more confidence.
Just as Gagne yearned to learn from Hull and others, Giroux hopes to spend time with one, special player: Pavel Datsyuk.
They are all pretty good players, Giroux said. But Pavel Datsyuk would be pretty cool to have him and play with him. I kinda grew up watching him a little bit when I was in juniors. I think hes a pretty good player.
An idol.
Someone Giroux wants to become. Someone who already has won a Stanley Cup.
Thats the true, tangible benefit of the All-Star Game: Preparing players to become something better than themselves. Giving them the tools to become future Cup champions.
Giroux knew that when Richards and Carter departed the sword fell to him. He picked it up and hasnt looked back.
You play more, you feel more confident, he said. You kinda want to help the team more, have more responsibilities. Thats just details at the end of the day.
Your job is to come to the rink and do the best job you can and help the team win.
Gagne never won a Stanley Cup, but he did win an Olympic gold medal -- and it all began with an All-Star Game.
That is the path Giroux now skates in his second All-Star appearance.
He is his own man, Luukko said.
E-mail Tim Panaccio at tpanotch@comcast.net