“Excited to go back” – Cam Atkinson anticipates emotional maiden game for Flyers against Blue Jackets
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Cam Atkinson
Right winger Cam Atkinson is expecting an emotional night on Thursday when he plays his maiden game as a visiting player for the Philadelphia Flyers against the Columbus Blue Jackets at Nationwide Arena. The Greenwich native Atkinson played his previous 10 National Hockey League (NHL) seasons with the Blue Jackets before he was traded to the Flyers for forward Jakub Voracek in July last year.
“I’m excited to go back,” Atkinson said, as quoted by NHL.com. “Obviously a little anxious, but Columbus is home for me and my wife (Natalie) and my family. We have a house there, both boys (sons Declan and Caden) were born there.
“I’m sure it’ll be emotional. I’m going to have a lot of friends and family that will be attending that game, my dad, my wife, and one of my boys I believe. I’m looking forward to it.”
“Giving back was instilled in me”
Atkinson, 32, became a staple of the Columbus hockey scene on and off the rink. Talking about some of his numbers, he’s second in the history of Blue Jackets in games played (627), goals (213) and points (402) behind Rick Nash (674 games, 289 goals, 547 points).
“Giving back was instilled in me and all my brothers at such an early age, whether it was soup kitchens or giving money to different charitable organizations that were in need,” Atkinson said. “And I think obviously being in the professional ranks and having somewhat of a platform, I think it’s very important to use that in a positive way.”
Meanwhile, Blue Jackets vice president of communications and team services Todd Sharrock also had a firsthand view of Atkinson’s commitment to the Columbus community.
“It was just something that was always really important to him because he appreciated the things that he had,” Sharrock said. “Once he established himself as a player, he was one of those guys that was always ready to dive in and do what he could.”
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