Torey Krug sends a farewell to the city of Boston.

The St. Louis Blues and now former Boston Bruins defenseman Torey Krug stunned the hockey world in many ways when following the opening of free agency this offseason they announced that they had come to terms on a long term deal. The news came as a shock for many reasons, including the fact that it shut Alex Pietrangelo out of a possible return to St. Louis and the fact that there was a large contingent of the Bruins fan base that was hopeful Krug would be back on a new deal next season. A new deal for Krug in Boston never came to pass however and although there is still some controversy surrounding how exactly that was allowed to happen, especially when you consider the fact that he signed at a pretty reasonable number and the fact that he had expressed a desire to remain in Boston, but that will be a matter for another time.

The reality right now is that Torey Krug is gone and barring a potential trade down the line or a return much, much later in his career as a free agent fans in Boston will not be seeing him in a Bruins jersey again. It has been a tough pill to swallow for many fans in Boston but no doubt it has been extremely hard on the young man who in many ways became the man he is today in the city of Boston. On Sunday Krug published a heartfelt message to all those he left behind in Boston, and you could tell that there was still plenty of love for the city and its fans in Krug.

From Torey Krug's Instagram:

I am so grateful that Melanie and I could call Boston home for the last 8 years. I have no words to describe how much the city, my teammates, and the fans mean to us. The truth is, I was never a fan of these types of posts but felt it necessary as my only means to connect with you guys.

Thank you to the Bruins organization for the opportunity to grow as a player and a person. Thank you to my teammates for the amazing memories and what will be lifelong bonds. Thank you to the fans and the community for embracing my family as one of your own.

I truly feel terrible that I couldn’t help bring another Stanley Cup to Boston but I leave with some amazing memories and having played with Hall of Famers on some truly special teams.

No doubt this will only serve to further endear Krug to his fans in Boston.