Claude Julien is leaving the Boston Bruins with his head held high.
Two days after being dismissed from the club he spent the last 10 years coaching, Julien penned a letter thanking the entire organization and its fans, via Fluto Shinzawa of the Boston Globe:
I would like first and foremost to thank the Bruins organization for allowing my family and I the privilege of spending 10 unforgettable years in Boston. We were proud to call this great city home for so long and will dearly miss it.
To the players, past and present, medical and equipment staff, doctors and communications staff, all of whom worked hard for the success of our club with a team-first mentality, I cannot thank you enough for your commitment through it all.
From the game day security crew to the volunteers that I was fortunate enough to meet throughout the years, I thank you as well.
I certainly cannot sign off without thanking the people that made this time here so rewarding- the Boston Bruins fans. Your devotion, unmistakable passion, energy and support is what makes Boston the best sports city in the entire world!
In leaving this organization, what I'm most happy about and most proud of is being part of the team that brought the Stanley Cup back to Boston for the first time in 39 years. Sharing that journey and the Stanley Cup celebrations with our players, families, staff and our fans produced so many incredible memories that I will never forget. To all that were part of it and helped along the way, I want to express a heartfelt 'thank you.
Julien leaves as the Bruins' all-time leader in both regular-season and playoff victories, with 419 and 57, respectively. He also helped the club win the Stanley Cup in 2011 and earned the Jack Adams Award in 2009 as NHL coach of the year.
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