When John Tavares announced on Sunday that he's joined the Toronto Maple Leafs on a reported $77-million contract, he did so with great excitement, touting a "new chapter" and the fulfillment of "a childhood dream."
The gem of 2018's free agent class didn't embrace his hometown Toronto, however, without also paying respect to the New York Islanders, for whom he has played since 2009.
"That place means a lot to me," he said in a Sunday press conference, as shared on Twitter by Brady Trettenero. "It was such a hard decision because of just, really, how special it was. It's a great organization, a tremendous fan base, tremendously loyal, tremendously passionate ... I don't know if words can describe how much I appreciated my time there."
An emotional John Tavares says goodbye to the Islanders pic.twitter.com/BKss7rN9tL
— Brady Trettenero (@BradyTrett) July 1, 2018
A four-time 30-goal scorer and longtime captain for the Islanders, Tavares had reportedly met with New York about a potential contract extension before landing with the Maple Leafs but entered free agency on Sunday without a deal. The coveted 27-year-old center had also reportedly narrowed his free-agent search to the Leafs, Islanders and San Jose Sharks by the start of the weekend.
His move to Toronto marks a homecoming of sorts, as he was born in Ontario, but marks a drastic change for the Isles, who added Stanley Cup-winning coach Barry Trotz this offseason but are now without their top talent of the last decade.
