Pronger, the 2000 NHL MVP with St. Louis, shocked Edmonton in June when he asked for a trade but refused to publicly say why. Many fans felt betrayed by the 6-foot-6, 220-pound defenseman, the driving force behind an Oilers team that came within one game of winning the Stanley Cup last spring.

Fans in Oilers jerseys and garish blue wigs booed him when he touched the puck in pregame warmups, rising up to flash homemade signs.

“Tell the Truth, Chris,” read one.

“The Gap in Your Story is Bigger Than the Gap in Your Teeth.”

“Chris: 1985 Phoned; They Want Their Hair Back.”

During the game, fans serenaded Pronger with chants of “You Sold Out!” along with a mournful, drawn-out “Prawwwwnnnngerrr!”

The 32-year-old Pronger didn’t appear fazed and never looked beyond the ice surface. He had been the talk of the city for almost a week before the return trip.

“He thrives on this type of atmosphere,” Roloson said. “When you have played as well as he has over the past, teams hate you and they want to come out and play hard on you, and the fans want to nail you, too.”

Speaking to reporters on Monday, Pronger reiterated that his reason for wanting to leave Edmonton would stay personal. He said he understood if Oilers fans wanted to vent.

“They’re passionate about their team and they can’t understand why I’m not here,” he said.

Pronger has been a standout for the Ducks. He leads NHL defensemen with 27 points (four goals, 23 assists). His plus-16 rating is second only to the plus-23 of Detroit’s Nicklas Lidstrom.

Notes: Oilers RW Ales Hemsky left in the first period with a shoulder injury and didn’t return. Edmonton also was without LW Shawn Horcoff for part of the game due to a finger injury, and D Marc-Andre Bergeron sat out from the second period on with an illness. ... Oilers D Steve Staios was scratched because of a sprained knee. ... In the second period, fans roared as Brad Winchester fought with Anaheim’s Sean O’Donnell. Minutes later, Matt Greene of the Oilers and Shane O’Brien went at it.

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