Alex Burrows pens emotional goodbye to Vancouver in Players' Tribune piece

Alex Burrows poured his heart out with the help of the folks at The Players' Tribune, writing a thoughtful, classy, and heartfelt farewell to the Canucks organization and city of Vancouver.

He touched on the improbability of his 12-year run with the Canucks, trading punches with Dennis Wideman, the team's rivalry with the Blackhawks (as well as his famous overtime goal to defeat them in the 2011 Stanley Cup Playoffs), the bonds his family formed with other Canuck families, and his new opportunity in Ottawa.

Here's a snippet from his post:

Thanks again for turning a lucky break into a lucky life.

As someone who came from nothing and then played 12 years for this franchise, I still kind of can't believe it happened. But I'm so glad it did. Please don't forget about me - and please, if you get a chance, make sure to pass along some words of mine to next year's rookies. Just give them the following message: Wear that sweater with pride. And don't let anybody take it away from you.

It means you're a Canuck.

You can read the entire article here.