David Krejci won’t return, plans to head home to Czech Republic

The Bruins’ push for “one last Cup run” with the current core was dealt a major blow today as one member of that core announced he won’t be back.

In a statement shared through the Bruins, David Krejci announced that he won’t return to the NHL and will instead head home to play in the Czech Republic.

(If you don’t see the embed, you can click this link to view the post on Instagram/in your browser.)

In the statement, Krejci says the city and the fans hold a special place in his heart, and that he has fond memories of all of his years with the organization.

The crux of the statement comes at the end:

“At this point in my career and life I need to return to the Czech Republic and play in front of my family who sacrificed so much to help me achieve my NHL dreams. I want to play in front of my parents, brother and friends. I want my children to live where I grew up, spend time with so many Czech family members who love them and create lifelong memories.”

Krejci goes on to say that he’ll be a Bruin forever, and that he’ll always bleed black and gold.

(I’m not crying, you’re crying.)

Ultimately, no one can fault Krejci for wanting to make the best decision for his family.

He mentioned in the past how his kids don’t speak Czech and don’t have a ton of experience with Czech culture/his Czech family.

In that case, it’s easy to see why he’d want to immerse them in a culture he holds so dearly before they get too old.

Krejci ends his NHL career (for now, at least) having spent its entirety with the Bruins organization.

He played 15 seasons for the Bruins, a total of 962 regular season games and 156 playoff games.

He put up 213G-516A-729PTS totals in the regular season and 42G-82A-124PTS totals in the playoffs.

The final stat line? 1,118 games played, 255 goals, 598 assists, 853 points, and a whole bunch of memories.

Happy trails to David Krejci...best of luck in whatever comes next.