Before they were on the same team, St. Louis Blues defenseman Torey Krug wasn't the biggest fan of David Perron.

"Man, did I hate that guy," Krug said during an appearance on the "Cam and Strick Podcast" earlier this week. "Honestly, after I signed, someone was like, 'Perron's asking for (your) number, can I give it to him?' I was like, 'You know, let's just wait a couple weeks.'

"He was just a guy that I didn't understand how good he was until you see it up close."

The 2019 Stanley Cup Finals were at the heart of Krug's initial dislike for Perron. Before inking a seven-year, $45.5 million deal in St. Louis as an unrestricted free agent last October, Krug spent nine seasons with the Boston Bruins.

The Blues defeated the Bruins in seven games to hoist the Cup for the first time in franchise history.

"I battled him like crazy in the corners during the finals. That was my matchup. I never liked him," Krug said.

Perron chimed in on Twitter Wednesday morning to say he felt the same way.

For Krug, that disdain has since shifted to admiration.

"That guy hounds the puck like crazy, protects it like crazy, he's got a heavy stick, and he cares so much," he said. "I just can't believe how good his wrister is, his impact on the game. He can change the game pretty easily."

Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.