Antoine Vermette suited up for the Senators on 359 occasions in the regular season during his time in Ottawa, so he found it "strange" to be part of the scene in the visitors' dressing room at Scotiabank Place on Wednesday afternoon.

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Antoine Vermette has been playing a key role at centre for the Blue Jackets, and has 19 points in 23 games this season.

Photograph by : Getty Images

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"It feels like it's still home in a way because I played here for so long," Vermette said after practising with the Blue Jackets in preparation for his 400th NHL contest tonight -- and first game back in Ottawa since being dealt to Columbus in March.

It's the first time the 27-year-old forward will face the team he spent the first four-plus seasons of his NHL career with.

In an era when players can expect to change teams frequently because of the salary cap, that counts as a long time. Long enough for him to build a strong relationship with his teammates and certainly long enough to become a hit with the fans.

During his time here, the St-Agapit, Que., native became one of the more popular Senators for his on-ice play and his involvement in the community. That will make tonight's game all the more special for him.

"It's definitely exciting," he said. "I'm very happy to come back and play in front of the fans and be able to see some good friends of mine that I used to play with, and some people around the room and the city. It's going to be emotional, but I'm sure it's going to be fun."

It hasn't been all that much fun lately for Columbus, which is winless in its past three games. However, the move that brought goaltender Pascal Leclaire and a second-round pick to Ottawa in exchange for Vermette in March has been a good one. "For both teams," said Blue Jackets coach Ken Hitchcock.

Columbus was looking for help at centre, particularly after Gatineau native Derick Brassard was lost for the season with a shoulder injury.

Although Vermette played a lot of wing in Ottawa, he has been moved into the middle by the Blue Jackets, lately getting a chance to play with star winger Rick Nash.

"He's just learning to play centre ice; he has been good, though," Hitchcock said. "If we don't have him at centre ice, it's a big hole for us."

Ironically, or maybe not, given his track record for injuries in Columbus, Leclaire is out with a fractured cheekbone and won't be available to face his former team.

"It's unfortunate that Pazzy couldn't play because Pazzy's a real good goalie," Hitchcock said. "The issue with Pascal with us was the injuries."

Injuries were rarely a problem with Vermette, who proved pretty durable over his time in Ottawa, where his speed made him a valuable penalty-killer.

But it was his offensive shortcomings that left some wanting more from a player blessed with superior skating skills. Although he twice topped the 20-goal mark -- he had a career-high 24 goals in 2007-08 -- he was never able to become a regular on the Senators' top two lines.

These days, he's feeling at home in Columbus.

"We have a very young group of players with a lot of potential and a bright future," said Vermette, who still keeps in touch with his former Senators teammates via text messages. "On my personal side, I'm very pleased with the confidence that our organization gave me. They put me in a situation where you get more responsibility on and off the ice, which was one thing I was looking for."

With two goals in a loss at Montreal on Tuesday night, Vermette has 19 points in 23 games and is averaging 19 minutes 52 seconds of ice time a game. In the faceoff circle, only four players have taken more draws than Vermette's 452 and his 53.5-per-cent success rate also puts him among the league leaders.

"He has been a really great addition, just the attitude that he brings to the dressing room for team chemistry and leadership," said defenceman Marc Methot, an Ottawa native who, along with Brassard and Mike Blunden of Orleans, make up Columbus's national capital area contingent. "He's one of the guys that you can get along with real well.

"He has been a great player for us out there on the ice, too. He has produced offensively and, being on that top line and taking important draws, has been a key element to our game."