The Ottawa Senators and Buffalo Sabres had an incredibly intense game on Tuesday night. Watching on was a man who knows both organizations very well — former goaltender Craig Anderson. After some speculation last week, the 42-year-old Illinois native officially retired from the game of hockey on Tuesday.

Anderson signed a one-day contract with the Senators, a team he spent 10 years with. He was honored prior to the game against the Sabres with a very touching video tribute. Prior to the game, however, he spoke with the media at a press conference. During that press conference, he made a rather heartfelt admission.

“I didn't announce my retirement until now because I wanted to be a Senator again. I never wanted to leave,” Anderson said, via NHL.com. “This place was home for me and my family. There's no certainties in life. I think to be here today, to be able to end everything this way, it's a storybook ending.”

The 42-year-old played his final two NHL seasons with the Sabres. However, he is a legend for the Senators. Among goaltenders, he leads Ottawa in games played (435), wins (202), and saves (12,447). Furthermore, he is second all-time in Senators history with 28 shutouts, behind Patrick Lalime's 30.

Anderson's most memorable moment came in 2017. He helped lead an underdog Ottawa team to Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals, though they lost to the Pittsburgh Penguins. Overall, he posted a .922 save percentage during that run.

“There's a lot of emotion here,” Anderson said, via NHL.com. “The biggest thing I can say is a thank you to my family, the fans, my teammates. … I think of my wife pushing me to become the best that I could be, and to allow me to chase my dreams for as long as I did. That's a huge part of this.”