Chris Neil, Senators agree to part ways

Chris Neil has only ever called one NHL city home.

The 16-year veteran has played all of his 1,026 games in an Ottawa Senators uniform, but that number won't hit 1,027. That's because Neil and the Senators agreed to go their separate ways on Wednesday, with the gritty forward now looking elsewhere for employment.

"They had a meeting with him and told him, ‘We don’t think you’re going to be happy with this role,'" Neil’s agent, Todd Reynolds, told Postmedia.

"Neil said, ‘Yeah, I don’t think I would be either and it’s probably not what I’d like to endure for a year.’ (They agreed), 'Let’s just mutually go our separate ways here and see if something better is out there for you where they’re going to give you eight, nine, or 10 minutes a night possibly.'"

Neil suited up for just 53 games last season, while tallying four points to go along with 63 penalty minutes.

Despite his lack of influence on the stat sheet, Neil was a fan favorite in Ottawa, endearing himself to the Senators faithful with his aggressive, team-first style.

The rugged winger finishes his time as a Senator with 2,522 career penalty minutes - good for top spot on Ottawa's all-time list.