( Photo Credit: Jeff Roberson / AP Photo )

By: Joey Partridge | Follow Me On Twitter @joey_partridge

The news that broke every Boston Bruins fan’s heart dropped Friday night a little after 8pm. Torey Krug signed a seven-year, $45.5 million contract with the St. Louis Blues. Krug’s time in Boston has come to a close.

Over the course of the night there were reports that the Bruins offered him a contract worth a certain amount, but Krug said in his interview with St. Louis that the Bruins hadn’t offered him a contract in over a year. We can play the he said-they said game all day, but that won’t get us anywhere. This article is to thank Krug for everything he did as a Boston Bruin.

First off, we can’t undermine his work ethic. Krug was never drafted out of Michigan State, so he was already slept on from the start. Krug broke into the NHL the year after they won the Stanley Cup in 2011. He played in two regular season games during the 2011-12 campaign, recording one assist before he was sent back down to Providence.

He played in one regular season game in the shortened 2012-13 season, also recording one assist. Then, the playoffs happened. Krug got the call for the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs and he made the most of his opportunity. He scored his first career NHL goal in his first career NHL playoff game. As the Bruins went on to beat the New York Rangers in five games, he scored four goals in that series as a rookie defensemen.

That playoff performance earned him a full-time roster spot in the NHL for the 2013-14 season, and he began to show everyone around him that he belonged. Scoring 14 goals while contributing 26 assists in 79 games, Krug helped the Bruins claim the President’s Trophy.

Krug has been an offensive staple on the Bruins blue line ever since. He posted a career high 59 points in the 2017-2018 season. He has been a fantastic quarterback for the first power play unit finding passing lanes that no one knew they were there. It seems like every game Krug would walk down that right half-wall and find a lane to thread the needle for a David Pastrnak power play goal.

( Photo Credit: Maddie Meyer / Getty Images )

Krug has also made himself a fan favorite in the years he has been here. He loved Boston and made the city his home, contributing to charitable work off-ice. He had built great relationships with all the young players that came after him, like Pastrnak, showing off his great leadership. St. Louis is for sure getting a good one.

On a lighter note, the relationship between Brad Marchand and Krug was must-watch TV. The hilarious tweets, the on-ice shenanigans, the chirps, etc. were a testament to Krug’s character. The NHL is a business and we all knew this was a possibility. However, when it happens, it is a different animal.

While you can argue the Bruins should’ve done more to sign him, the fact of the matter is that this is a tremendous hockey player and even better person. From being undrafted, you can’t blame Krug at all for chasing this opportunity. Bruins Nation has your back Torey. Best of luck in St. Louis. We will miss you in the spoked B.