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Tampa Bay Lightning D Nikita Nesterov Sends Fond Farewell To Fans

By Tasha St. Pierre

Jun 3, 2015; Tampa, FL, USA; Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Nikita Nesterov (89) during the third period in game one of the 2015 Stanley Cup Final at Amalie Arena. Chicago Blackhawks defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 3, 2015; Tampa, FL, USA; Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Nikita Nesterov (89) during the third period in game one of the 2015 Stanley Cup Final at Amalie Arena. Chicago Blackhawks defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports /
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After being traded to the Montreal Canadiens last night, former Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman sent a fond farewell to his fans here in the Sunshine State.

Tampa Bay Lightning Vice President and General Manager Steve Yzerman caught Lightning fans all around the Bolts Nation last night with a startling announcement.

Just before the puck dropped between the Lightning and the Florida Panthers at the BB&T Center in Sunrise, it was announced the team had traded defenseman Nikita Nesterov to the Montreal Canadiens in exchange for defenseman Jonathan Racine and a 6th Round Pick in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft.

While it is well known Yzerman loves his draft picks, and has done a hell of a job using them to better the team in his time here, not much is known about Jonathan Racine, the Lightning’s newest defenseman. The one thing fans do know is now we are forced to say goodbye to one of our own.

The jury is still out on how exactly the fans feel about Nikita Nesterov. Some felt he needed to be sent back to the Lightning’s American Hockey League affiliate, the Syracuse Crunch, while others considered him a solid defenseman on the back end. The one thing everyone can agree on is he was a heck of a good guy off the ice.

It’s a pretty safe assumption there are a million and one things going on in the life of Nikita Nesterov right now. One of the first things he’s going to encounter is trying to find his place on a new team. As if this isn’t stressful enough, he will more than likely be looking to relocate his family to be closer to him in Montreal.

Anyone who has ever had to move in their life knows how difficult it is to move to a new neighborhood, let alone a new country. Unfortunately, so is the life of a professional hockey player.

Amongst all the chaos going on in his life right now, Nikita Nesterov found some time to send a fond farewell to those he leaves behind. Earlier today, Nesterov posted a photo of himself along with his wife Katya and their young son thanking the City of Tampa and the fans for their support while he was with the Lightning.

In addition to the fans, Nikita Nesterov also had a message for his fellow Russians on the Tampa Bay Lightning.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BPyc2GOFBQh/?taken-by=nikitanesterov_official

If you’re like us and don’t know how to say anything other than yes and/or no in Russian, never fear. There was a Lightning fan in the comments who provided a general idea of what Nesterov was conveying.

"“Brothers it was great to play with you but what is more interesting is to play against you, good luck and stay injury-free I will miss you”"

Needless to say, the translation from Instagram user nikkikinsz made a heck of a lot more sense than the translation we were given from Google Translate.

Next: How Can The Lightning Get Back On Track?

Getting back on topic here, no matter how things played out on the ice, Nikita Nesterov has proven himself to be an all-around good guy, both on and off the ice. Once again, we here at Bolts By The Bay would like to wish him and his family good luck in their new adventure.

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