It won't exactly be the same as Lebron James' return to Cleveland, but Tomas Fleischmann returning to D.C. for the first time as a member of the Colorado Avalanche is kind of a big deal.
No one at the Verizon Center will hold up signs calling Fleischmann a "Traitor" or evoking the word "Betrayal." In fact, Fleischmann is likely to earn a warm reception when he steps on the ice to face his former team the Washington Capitals. Mostly because he didn't leave by choice, and also because he was more of a role player than the face of the franchise.
The odd thing about Fleischmann's time with the Avalanche is that he's yet to play a single game on Colorado's home ice at the Pepsi Center, according to Corey Masiak of CSN-Washington. The forward has four points in four games with the Avalanche, but all four games have been on the road. The team returns home following tonight's game, but Fleischmann will feel way more at home tonight at the Verizon Center, where he spent the previous five seasons.