And just like that, Tyler Bozak’s nine year tenure with the Toronto Maple Leafs has come to an end.
The 32-year-old was unable to reach an agreement during their pursuit for John Tavares and consequently signed a three-year $15 million contract with the St. Louis Blues.
Bozak wasn’t necessarily the best Leaf during his time in Toronto, however, he was generally well-liked by the fan base. Before kicking off his career in St. Louis, he penned an emotional letter to the city of Toronto detailing what it was like to play for one of hockey’s biggest markets.
The Regina native made a point out of detailing a few memorable moments, one of which included when head coach at the time Ron Wilson wrote on the whiteboard that he’d be “put on a line with one of the best shooters in the league.” That, of course, being Phil Kessel. He then provided some inside info on why the two get along so well.
The following is an excerpt from The Players’ Tribune:
I can still see Ron Wilson’s handwriting on the whiteboard in my mind from January 12, my second ever NHL game.
KULEMIN-BOZAK-KESSEL
Our line scored that night. I got an assist.
When in doubt, pass to Phil.
See, the thing you need to know about Phil Kessel is that he’s a quiet guy. O.K., you probably know that, but it’s why we got along so well, I think. We’re different. I’m a bit more outgoing, I like to crack jokes, and he’s a bit more reserved. Phil and I had the same interests. A lot of nights you’d find us on the couch, watching a game with Stella.
Stella is a goldendoodle, the light of Phil’s life.
After detailing his relationship with Phil, he went through exactly where he was during the Leafs’ Game 7 collapse in 2013 to the Boston Bruins. Bozak was forced to miss the last two games of the series due to injury.
The following is an excerpt from The Players’ Tribune:
I remember, after Nazem Kadri scored to make it 4–1, the texts were rolling in from friends and family.
“Congrats Bozie! What a series!”
“Good luck in the next round!”
Stella (Kessel’s dog) gave me a look like, Don’t reply to a single one of those texts.
You know how animals can sort of sense when disaster is coming? I think she knew.
Stella left the room. And it wasn’t 4–1 much longer.
We lost, and it was terrible. It killed me that I wasn’t there.
It’s hard not to think of that moment from time to time now, because I’ve been through it all in Toronto. I know it isn’t easy to be a Leafs fan because I was one for nine years.
After detailing his friendship with Garrett Gamble Jr., an 11-year-old Leafs fan suffering from the rare disease Morquio syndrome, he thanked the Leafs and the city of Toronto for everything they had done for him.
The following is an excerpt from The Players’ Tribune:
From Brian Papineau, Bobby Hastings and Tom Blatchford — our amazing equipment staff who were my best buddies for nine years and deserve all the credit in the world for their efforts — to Paul Ayotte, the head athletic therapist, who fixed me every time I was broken, the Leafs community was my family.
Those 35 steps I’d take from the locker room to the ice? Every one of them was because of all the people in Toronto who have been by my side for the last nine years.
The first time I made that walk, I was a 23-year-old kid who wasn’t sure if he belonged. But when I took it for the final time last spring, I saw how far I had come. I saw my wife, Molly. She’s my best friend, and she’s supported me throughout. She was holding our two-year-old son, Kanon, who was born in Toronto. I gave him a wave through the glass during warmup.
I’ll remember those moments forever.
For an undrafted kid out of Saskatchewan, Bozak certainly accomplished a lot during his time as a Maple Leaf. He’ll return to Toronto on October 20th when the Leafs host the Blues.
(H/T Players' Tribune)
