Erik Karlsson made his long-anticipated return to Ottawa on Saturday afternoon as the Sharks took on the Senators for a matinee at Canadian Tire Centre. 

The ex-Senators defenseman and captain received a (mostly) warm welcome from the crowd in his first game in Ottawa as a visitor. After serving as the face of the franchise for years, Karlsson was traded from the Senators to the Sharks just prior to this season.

With Saturday's return to Ottawa having special meaning to Karlsson, his teammates made sure to give him the rookie treatment by letting him take a solo pregame lap. 

Then, during the first period of the tilt, the Senators paid tribute to Karlsson and his tenure in Ottawa with a nice video tribute. 

After the video hit the video board, Karlsson received a standing ovation from the crowd, which he acknowledged with a wide smile. 

Karlsson, 28, was drafted 15th overall by the Senators in 2008 and spent the first nine years of his career in Ottawa. After months of off-ice rumors and drama, the Sens finally dealt the former Norris winner to San Jose this September to avoid the possibility of losing him for nothing in free agency. He's in the final year of his current contract and could hit the open market next summer.

His tenure in Ottawa wasn't the smoothest ride, but there's no questioning Karlsson's individual contributions to the Senators over the years. He was able to establish himself as an elite, generational defenseman on the Sens' blue line and was a major reason for any success they've had over the last handful of years -- most notably the team's run to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2017. Every bit of Saturday's appreciation was deserved.