Jonathan Gruden said he "blacked out for a minute."
It was the start of warmups, and his new teammates stood off to the side of the tunnel, clearing the way for him to get to the front of the line and take the solo lap around the ice that is customary for all players making their NHL debuts.
"Welcome to the NHL, John Gruden!"
"I don't really remember it," Gruden said with a grin when I asked him about that moment following the Penguins' 4-3 overtime win over the Ducks.