Merci...Kiitos...Spasibo...Thank You

Well that's it folks. Put a fork in it. The fat lady has sung. The 2009-2010 season is over. But if you're looking for a bitter rant about how the team did me wrong or if you're hoping to read a woeful list of "what ifs" you've come to the wrong place. What you'll find over the next few paragraphs is my attempt at saying thank you to a team I'm proud to call my team.

To the Rats:
Thank you for coming to Raleigh and never missing a beat. Thank you for showing us that "young" doesn't necessarily mean "mistakes". Thank you for stepping into your roles without asking questions or demanding more. But thank you for earning more. Thank you for offering us a glimpse into the future of this team.

To the coaches:
Thank you for not quitting on this team. Thank you for holding them accountable for their actions. Thank you for expecting more from them than complacency and a draft pick. Thank you for pushing them to put a competitive product on the ice night in and night out. Thank you for giving the kids a chance and thank you for recognizing what they had to offer.

To the team:
Thank you for refusing to quit. Thank you for fighting even when lesser teams would have given up. Thank you for staying committed and sticking together. Thank you for not airing dirty laundry to the press or throwing each other under the bus. Thank you for supporting each other through both good and bad times. Thank you for battling injuries, fatigue and disappointment to compete every game. Thank you for giving us such amazing moments. Thank you for giving us a season of firsts: first games, first wins and first goals. Thank you for giving us a reason to throw hats on the ice. Thank you for inspiring us during the Olympics. Thank you for giving us goals that made us sit back and say "wow". Thank you for giving us saves that brought us to our feet in reverence. Thank you for bringing home wins against some of the top teams in the league and never once believing that Goliath ever had any more right to win than David. We're proud of you. Enjoy your offseason. Heal and rest your bodies, minds and spirits so you can come back ready to conquer the NHL.

In the meantime, we'll wait. We'll anxiously anticipate the day we get to pull our jerseys out of the closet. We'll look forward to tailgating for hours in the parking lot. We'll be working on our Finnish and trying to figure out the time difference between Raleigh, NC and Helsinki, Finland. We will watch the draft lottery with every bit of intensity as we would a playoff game. We'll scour the internet and the papers to find any bit of news we can. We'll be waiting to cheer you on for another 82 games. We'll be here.