Foligno shares emotional goodbye to Blue Jackets after trade

Nick Foligno shared an emotional farewell to the Columbus Blue Jackets on Sunday after news broke that he was traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Foligno played nine seasons in Columbus and served as the team's captain for the past six.
He took to Twitter to share his feelings for the city, the fans and the Blue Jackets franchise.
"My love for the city of Columbus and you, the fans, could never be measured," Foligno wrote on Twitter. "Thank you for allowing me to lead your team. To my teammates... It was an honor to battle with you! Til the cannon fires again!... 'I Salute You!'"

The Blue Jackets put together a touching tribute video highlighting the veteran forward's 599 games with the team and shared it on social media.
The team also posted a

on Instagram.
Some of Foligno's now former teammates weighed in on his departure.
Forward Zac Dalpe shared a text message he received from Foligno before the trade. Dalpe, in his 10th NHL season, has played in six games for the Blue Jackets this season and scored a goal in a 4-2 win against the Tampa Bay Lightning on April 6.
"This is a text from the gr8 captain [Foligno] sent me the other night," Dalpe said in the tweet. "The definition of a true born leader. This text meant everything to me. You want good guys to do great things. He's an old soul that values sentiments like this. He's the best."
Foligno's message to Dalpe read, "Really happy for you man! I know how good a pro you've been and a lot of the spotlight doesn't get put on you but just want you to knkow I knkow it and see it and respect it and so do a lot of the guys. Enjoy that tuck tonight. It ain't easy to do in this league. You have all our respect and that's all that matters. Sleep well and see ya tomorrow brother."

Defenseman Seth Jones talked about Foligno saying goodbye to everyone on Monday.
"Nick's a great guy," Jones said. "He's always going to be a part of this team, this organization. He gave everyone hugs, the trainers, everything like that. Obviously for him, it was probably emotional and I'm sure it [stinks]. I've been traded as well, but the position he's in, going to win a Cup, I think it's a little bittersweet. He wants to go there and show Toronto what he's made of and help them achieve that ultimate goal."
NHL.com staff writer Tom Gulitti contributed to this story.