Leo Komarov says he wants to set the record straight on his NHL departure

After spending the last eight years in the NHL, Leo Komarov has decided to leave. He was put on unconditional waivers by the New york Islanders Saturday for the purpose of terminating the remaining time on his contract. That process is now complete, and Komarov is headed to SKA St. Petersburg of the KHL. Now that the deal is officially done, Komarov took to his Instagram saying he wanted to set the record straight.

"Toughest decision I ever made in my career. To leave all my teammates and trainers who have been like a family to me for the last 3 years. It hurts me more than anyone could think. Let's put all the rumors away. I made this decision myself. Nobody else did it for me," said Komarov.

"I want to thank the Islanders organization for all the support. I want to say how happy I am that I got to know the boys- not just a few of them, I really mean the whole team. What unbelievable human beings you are. I also want to say an extra big thank you to Lou [Lamoriello]. I have never known anyone like him. He is always there to help you become a better person/player and I have a ton of respect for him. Big thank you to the fans who supported and cheered for me. It means a lot. I hope you guys are gonna win the cup."

"Now I have signed with SKA in the KHL. I am really excited to join them soon and get games going."

"To my family: I want to say the biggest thank you to my beautiful wife and kids for all the support you are giving me."

"Be Patient. Sometimes you have to go through the worst to get to the best."

"-Uncle Leo"

Komarov spent most of his NHL career playing under Lamoriello in both Toronto and with the Islanders. After being a 6th round pick in 2006, he managed to carve out a nice career for himself. This season, however, the Isles just did not seem to have a spot in the lineup for him and he played just one game before his contract was terminated. This was the final year of a four-year deal that paid him $3 million AAV.

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