Stempniak spent parts of three seasons in Calgary, scoring 31 goals and 63 points in 160 games.
"It's fun. Before I played in Calgary, I always liked playing in the Saddledome from (the time) when I was a rookie in St. Louis," he said after the Hurricanes' pre-game skate. "It's a great atmosphere. It's a great building.
"It's always fun to play against your friends. Some of my best friends in the game are Mark Giordano and Matt Stajan. To be able to compete against them and see them, it's always fun."
The veteran has been able to find instant success with the Hurricanes, who he signed a two-year pact with in the off-season. Earning a spot on Carolina's top line, Stempniak is currently leading his team in scoring with three goals and five points through their opening three games.
"Here in Carolina, I've played with two very good players right from start - (Jeff) Skinner and (Victor) Rask. We've found some chemistry and it's been good."
Stempniak has been able to carry over momentum from his 2015-16 campaign. He split the season between the New Jersey Devils and the Boston Bruins, amassing 19 goals and 51 points.
Refreshing his off-season training, he stated, has been key to his success.
"The last two years, I've felt really good. I've changed the way I trained a little bit, before last season, just focusing on moving a little bit better," he explained. "Being healthy but moving efficiently, moving better, rather than just doing a ton of weights and a ton of conditioning. It's paid off. I feel pretty good. I started doing pilates last summer. That's helped. It's all sort of been integrated by Matt Nichol, who I train with.
"I feel great. I feel last year was probably the best I felt, maybe my entire career, in terms of quality how you feel during the whole season."
