"The last time John Tavares stood on the ice at Scotiabank Place, he was wearing a gold medal around his neck -- as a proud member of Team Canada.

It's a memory Erik Karlsson, the flashy young Senators defenceman, who won the silver medal with Sweden at the world junior championship, would rather forget.

Fast forward a year and Tavares returns to Ottawa as a New York Islander, the first overall pick in June's draft.

Tonight, Tavares and Karlsson will meet again, but this time in the NHL. It'll be Karlsson's first regular-season game on home ice, while it's Tavares' first NHL game on home soil.

"I'm just trying to forget that I ended up second last year," said Karlsson with a smile.

Tavares will get plenty of attention as the Senators return home following a two-game road trip to begin the season. The Islanders are building their franchise around the former London Knights' centre and he's coming off a two-point performance — including his first NHL goal — Saturday against Pittsburgh. "