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Why did David Krejci leave Boston Bruins? Fans say 'thank you for everything'

David Krejci made the announcement of leaving Boston Bruins on July 30

Boston Bruins' center David Krejci announced that he's leaving NHL to return to play in his native Czech Republic. Krejci's announcement came on Friday, July 30. Krejci is either the Bruins’ second-line center or their former second-line center, a position that will affect the roles of almost every other forward on the roster.

Earlier, Bruins' general manager Don Sweeney spoke of Krejci and said, "David and I have communicated pretty consistently over the last little while. Nothing has changed on that front. He has his own reasons and he’s going to keep those private, as I am in terms of what his timeline is." He added, "David is a unique player and he’s been a tremendous Bruin and a highly productive player throughout his career. And again, we hope that that will continue but along that timeline of when he sees fit, not when we do." In another news, we have witnessed the demise of many former NHL stars recently. Buffalo Sabres legend, Rene Robert died last month. New York Rangers' Mark Pavelich was found dead at a Minnesota treatment facility. The NHL star was receiving mental health treatment at the time. On June 21, Minnesota Wild's Assistant General Manager Tom Kurvers died after losing his battle with cancer.

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David Krejci's statement read, "Dear Bruins fans: In January of 2007 when I pulled the Black and Gold sweater on for the first time I was 20 years and was almost 4,000 miles away from home. Since then, you have embraced me as a Bostonian. I have given everything that I have had to you and the Bruins, and over time, Boston has become a second home to me. I met my amazing wife Naomi here, and our two beautiful children call Boston home. This City and your support are so special to me." The statement further added, "The Bruins organization has always treated me with the utmost respect. I am so thankful for my teammates, the trainers and support staff, coaches and management who have allowed me to be a part of so many great teams. Obviously the 2011, 2013, and 2019 teams stick out, but truthfully I have loved every Bruins team I have been part of."

Announcing his return to Czech Republic, Krejci further said, "Since the end of the season, as I have thought about my future, it has become clear that I need to make a difficult decision for my family and I. At this point in my career and life I need to return to the Czech Republic and play in front of my family who sacrificed so much to help me achieve my NHL dreams. I want to play in front of my parents, brother and friends. I want my children to live where I grew up, spend time with so many Czech family members who love them and create lifelong memories." He concluded his statement by saying, "So for now, I want to thank all the Bruins fans for the support they have shown my family and I over the last 14 years. I will forever be thankful. This is not goodbye, I will not be a stranger. I will be a Bruin forever. I will see you at the TD Garden soon, and I will always bleed Black and Gold. With gratitude, David."

'Thank you, David Krejci, for everything'

As soon as the news became public, fans flooded Twitter thanking Krejci for 'everything' and remembered his amazing performances. One fan wrote, "Thank you, David Krejci. For everything." Another tweeted, "730 points in 926 regular season games. 124 points in 156 playoff games. David Krejci was so under appreciated by everyone. He was an incredible player for the Bruins and an even better person. Thank you for everything, Krech." One tweet read, "I just found out about the David Krejci news and I don’t even know how or what to say." One user commented, "Thanks for the memories David Krejci! You will be missed." Another said, "There are those athletes that so many people say are underrated that they then become overrated. David Krejci wasn’t one of those guys. That’s because he was so underrated no one ever talked about how underrated he was."