Peter Holland bids farewell

This season couldn’t have been easy for Peter Holland. Dressing for just eight of the Toronto Maple Leafs’ games - scoring only one assist, averaging only 10:43 in ice time, and missing 17 games all the while - he hasn’t really gotten to play.

Contrast that to his 2015-16, in which he dressed for 65 of the Leafs’ games. He scored 27 points; not amazing, but not nothing. He averaged 14:40, a career high.

Alas. Holland, who is from Toronto, no longer had a place on their NHL team. To that end, the Leafs finally found a trade partner: the Arizona Coyotes.

And so, Holland said goodbye. And it was a heartfelt one; after all, this is a childhood dream we’re talking about essentially ending here.

1) First of all, it's been a dream come true to play for the Toronto Maple Leafs - my boyhood team. Words can't describe how much that

— Peter Holland (@PeterHolland13) December 9, 2016

2) meant to me. Secondly, I want to thank all my teammates and staff who made that dream live up to my expectations. To the fans, I will

— Peter Holland (@PeterHolland13) December 9, 2016

3) miss playing in front of you as you make The Leafs one of the best pro sports teams in the world. I'd like to thank my friends

— Peter Holland (@PeterHolland13) December 9, 2016

.@FinesFord , Bob Fines and Carlos Martins, as well as Saul & Shawn Korman @KorrysClothiers who created friendships and not just

— Peter Holland (@PeterHolland13) December 9, 2016

5) partnerships. Thank you, to my friends and family who have continued to support me throughout my hockey journey. Despite no longer being

— Peter Holland (@PeterHolland13) December 9, 2016

6) a leaf, I hope to still make a positive impact on our community as a member of the Arizona Coyotes. With that being said, I am very

— Peter Holland (@PeterHolland13) December 9, 2016

7) excited for the new opportunity in Arizona, and I look forward to being a desert dog!

— Peter Holland (@PeterHolland13) December 9, 2016

It’s not that often a player gets traded and you see a seven-tweet storm come, but then again, it’s not that often you see a player who that meant so much to, and who can find the words to express it.

Best of luck to Holland in the next step of his career!