John, the root of the problem is not that you left, it’s how you handled the entire transition through a full calendar year.
It was by around 10 p.m. ET on June 30 when the reality slowly began sinking its deep claws into the hearts of fans everywhere, by which time I had started grieving. The deadline to sign a deal with an eight-year term had come and gone, and the odds of you staying with the Islanders vanished.
Some chose to hang onto the slim bit of hope that the decision was just that difficult that you needed another day to think it over and take the seven-year deal with the Islanders.