As a young man, the whole thing would not have fazed him.
Jarome Iginla blamed age, or perhaps the fact he is now a dad, but on Monday he said he feared his return to his former home ice on Tuesday, for the first time since his March departure would tug at the heart strings.
And as the Saddledome crowd took to their feet and shouted "Iggy, Iggy, Iggy" at the first glimpse of the Calgary Flames' former captain, there was clear emotion on the face of one of the Alberta'smost beloved sons.
Drafted by the Dallas Stars in 1995, Iggy was traded to the Flames just months later and spent 16 seasons with the team before being dealt to the Pittsburgh Penguins last March.
The Flames honoured their long-serving captain with a video montage that left many teary eyes in the house.
In the end, the Flames collapsed and suffered another loss. But, if only for a moment following the final whistle, Calgary fans seemed to have forget about the cold defeat as Iginla was named third star of the game.
In another show of class, Iggy's mates vacated the ice, leaving him to do a couple of laps around his former home ice.
Fans jumped to their feet and cheered and for more than two minutes, reminding number 12 just how much he's still loved.