Alex Burrows gave his farewell to the city of Vancouver and the Canucks in a piece posted to The Players' Tribune Thursday.

Burrows expressed his gratitude to the Canucks organization and said he hopes trading him will better the team in the future.

Embedded Image"In the end, hockey is a business, and if I had to go anywhere, I’m thrilled that it ended up being Ottawa," Burrows wrote. "I had a full no-trade clause in my contract, and Senators fans can rest assured: I would have used it if I didn’t feel great about the situation here. And the same thing goes for signing a contract extension. I wouldn’t have even considered one if I didn’t feel totally confident about the fact that Ottawa was somewhere I’d want to be, going forward. I’m coming to Ottawa with the highest expectations — both for this team, and for myself. I’m coming to help win a Stanley Cup.

"But I will still, in my own way, always have my heart in Vancouver. I’m leaving with too many memories to count, and an endless debt of gratitude, and the knowledge that I’ve found a city I can consider a hometown for life.

"And though it’s bittersweet, for sure — I’m leaving with the sincere hope that this trade will be able to help the Canucks build their future."

The 35-year-old was traded on Feb. 27 from the Canucks to the Ottawa Senators in exchange for prospect Jonathan Dahlen.

He spent his entire 12-year career with the Canucks prior to the deal. Undrafted, Burrows spent time in the ECHL and AHL before joining the Canucks for 43 games during the 2005-06 season. He has not played in the AHL since.

"As someone who came from nothing and then played 12 years for this franchise," wrote Burrows. "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."

Burrows owns four goals and two assists in seven games since joining the Senators.

A veteran of 829 games, Burrows has scored 197 goals, 390 points and racked up 1,066 penalty minutes in his career.