Report: An emotional Chris Kunitz had a message for Pens fans.

So many memories

Summer 2017 will be marked by the end of an era. After 3 Stanley Cup with the Pittsburgh Penguins, Chris Kunitz left the team to play with the Tampa Bay Lightning. Nevertheless, it was not an easy decision and it's an emotional Chris Kunitz with a strong message to deliver that met Peter J. Walner for MLive.

"There will be so much to miss," Kunitz said. "The people that we've met. The different teams our kids have been on with activities and those coaches or instructors. The guys on the team that we've been with a long time. Just seeing the staff inside the arena that you dealt with everybody for the bulk of your career. That makes it tough."

"People have really helped out our family with us traveling so much as hockey players. They've been supportive of my wife, and we've become best friends with them."

"Still some of the toughest stuff is to come. We'll cross that bridge. The memories and the people we've met are things that we've almost taken for granted because we've been here so long."