Family comes first for Claude Giroux, and he and his wife Ryanne took their time this offseason to determine what next season would look like for their family of five.
“When it was time to get it done and pick a team, I wanted to be here,” said Giroux, speaking to local media on a Zoom call on Tuesday afternoon.
“I think for me and my family it was about making sure we make the right decision. It's a big decision for our family, especially when you’ve got three boys.”
Waiting until July 7 to sign a one-year, $2 million contract that could be worth as much as $5 million with performance bonuses was more about the weight of that decision rather than testing the free agent market.
“I wouldn’t say gauge the market, that’s not really what I was doing. I was more looking at options, as to our family, to see what was best. We have three boys, it’s not just about me anymore.” said Giroux, when asked about the difference between this year’s signing and last year’s, which came on the eve of free agency.
Familiarity with the city, the organization, and the players in the locker room also played a large role in his decision to remain with the Senators for a fifth season.
“I love the organization. I love my teammates, the coaching staff, everybody that’s involved. Been here for four years now, and you just create those relationships, and it’s not easy to just put those away, I want to play with those guys,” said Giroux.
“At the end of the day, the guys in the locker room, we have a good thing going. I liked everybody in the organization, and me and Steve [Staios] had some great conversations. I was completely honest with him, and he was completely honest with me. So I think just that honesty… it's not like he was pressuring me to get it done as quick as possible,” said Giroux.
“We were kind of just evaluating all the scenarios, and you know, at the end of the day, playing here, especially last year, at the end of the second half, we started clicking a little bit more, started playing some better hockey. So it's just exciting, and you want to take that step forward, the next step, and that's what we're going to do.”
Giroux played about half of last season in the top six and half on a dominant third line. He finished with nearly identical offensive numbers to the year prior despite playing nearly two fewer minutes per game, while also improving his plus-minus from -8 to +20, and leading the league with a 63.1 per cent faceoff win rate.
The 38-year-old said he has no qualms about playing anywhere in the lineup in 2026–27.
“Whatever makes our team the best, I’ll be ready to do that. You’ve got to be able to adapt, and [if] I’m playing some good hockey, I want to be up [in the top six],” said Giroux.
Giroux has missed just one game since initially signing with the Senators in the summer of 2022. While his role has changed throughout that time, he’s still just as passionate about winning.
“Early on, right when the season was over, I just wanted to make sure that the drive and the fire was still there, and it didn’t take very long for me to realize that I wanted to keep going, wanted to keep going with this organization, and take that next step,” said Giroux, who set a career-high with 35 goals during his first season in Ottawa.
“And we’ve been saying that for a few years now, to take that next step, but it’s time to do it now.”
