Fisher thanks Ottawa in goodbye letter

The always classy Mike Fisher published a full-page advertisement in the Ottawa Citizen today thanking Ottawa and the Senators for supporting him while he lived and played here. Here's the full text:

Dear Senators Fans and Fellow Citizens of the Ottawa Area,

For the past 11 years I have had the pleasure of calling Ottawa my home. I have matured here both as a hockey player and a person. Throughout my time in Ottawa the fans of the Senators and the entire community have been a tremendous support to my teammates and I through good times and bad. It was my honor to be able to give back in some small way by working with Roger’s House and many other worthy groups, individuals and causes in and around Ottawa.

I am extremely blessed to have had the privilege of being a member of your community. The friendships I have forged here are ones that I will truly cherish forever.

Ottawa is a tremendous city and I will miss playing in front of you every night. Though I am sad to be leaving, I am very grateful to the Ottawa Senators Hockey Club for giving me the chance to realize my dream of becoming an NHL player. In particular, I would wish to thank Mr. Eugene Melnyk and Mr. Bryan Murray for their respect, professionalism and the generosity that they have shown to me and my family through the years. It was a lot of fun playing in front of some of the greatest hockey fans in the world, and that will never be forgotten.

For everything that you have done for me and my family, I did not want to leave Ottawa without expressing my sincere gratitude and appreciation to the entire community.

On behalf of Carrie and I and our families,

Thank you Ottawa….For everything.

Mike Fisher

Just proves what most people already knew: Fisher was a great person. Hopefully he's still around in the community in the off-season.