It obviously did not get us to the result we want yet. But we are building toward it; this organization is special, and I want to sincerely thank all of you for your part in that.

From an equipment manager preparing gear at 6 AM to a team services person working at midnight to find the best travel options for a call-up, from a chef doing prep at 6 AM to a development coach going over prospect video at midnight, the effort is tremendous.

You know our games are fun, but should know how hard our game ops crew works to keep the arena buzzing, how hard our sales staff works to keep it full, how hard our arena ops crew works to keep the experience smooth.

From the outside, you may not see what an incredible effort goes into making this all possible. You see the effort the players put in on the ice, but should know how hard they work on everything from fitness to nutrition to sleep to optimize their performance.

The players go all-out every shift, but they get to go to the bench between shifts; you bring the energy nonstop for 60 minutes. Heck, some of you even come to the airport at 1 AM to cheer our return after a road game. I can’t tell you how much your support means to us.

First and foremost, that means the fans. The passion you show is incredible. You show up hours before the game to start the party. And when the game starts, it ramps up even more.