James Neal bids Las Vegas, Golden Knights fans farewell

James Neal may have left the Golden Knights for the Flames, but it appears his passion still burns bright for Las Vegas.

The 30-year-old forward said goodbye to his teammates and fans in a Twitter and Instagram post Thursday, three days after signing a five-year, $28.75 million deal with Calgary in free agency.

“Vegas… thank you! To my trainers, coaches and management, I can’t thank you enough. To this amazing fan base… thank you for your passion and support. Most of all I want to thank my teammates for an unforgettable season. I will miss this incredible town and will always cherish the Inaugural season with the #GoldenMisfits. We will always be #VegasStrong,” Neal wrote on Instagram.

Neal had 25 goals and 44 points in the Golden Knights inaugural season after being taken from Nashville in the expansion draft, and emerged as one of the key leaders on the team. He coined the squad the “Golden Misfits” in a group text prior to the season and played a key role as the team reached the Stanley Cup Final.

The Flames lured Neal away from Las Vegas with a long-term deal, but it seems breaking up is proving hard to do for the forward. His Twitter bio still says “#18 for the Golden Knights,” and his header photo shows him wearing Vegas’ sweater.

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Contact Ben Gotz at bgotz@reviewjournal.com. Follow @BenSGotz on Twitter.