EAST MEADOW, NY -- On Thursday morning, the New York Islanders were informed that longtime captain Anders Lee would be testing the free agency market.

On Wednesday night, Lee inked a thre-year deal worth $5.4 million annually with the Utah Mammoth, ending an era on Long Island. 

 "Before I take any question, I just want to recognize and thank Anders for everything he's meant for this organization, like he's a true pro," Islanders general manager Mathieu Darche said on Wednesday night.  "The way he's handled himself the last year...it's not an easy situation for him. He handled it with the utmost class with the way he played, the way he cared about this team on and off the ice, the way he's been for all these years on Long Island, the way he got involved in the community, and you saw up until the end, first round pick, he's calling him three, four days before his contract expires.

"So I just want to recognize him, and I wish him, his wife, Grace, the whole family the best of luck in Utah, and we thank him for everything he's done for the organization."

While Darche had the cap hit, he said that Lee wanted term and what Lee wanted -- he wanted three years -- the Islanders weren't comfortable with. 

"I've lived it as a player. You see players, and we talk, we talked for the last two months with the agent," Darche said. "Throughout the year, I was always in communication with Anders. I know it wasn't easy. We signed Pageau.  When I sat with him that day, I said, 'Here's a reason why we went there, centers and the value at the deadline, and and, now, you see, in the summer, everybody's freaking out for centers.

"He was always very appreciative of the conversation, but I think he understood, even if it wasn't probably the preferred outcome for him. As we try to move forward, we make decisions. We were here at Development Camp, and we see the young guys coming in and, eventually, there's going to be some turnover. We talked on a contract, and the term was tougher for us to....everybody has their own puzzle, right, depending where you are in your stage, and for him, he wanted the term, and he's entitled to it. Like he's he's an unrestricted free agent. It's in his power to see what's out there, and we couldn't come to an agreement, and again, I wish him only the best. I'm actually happy for Anders that he got his term that he wanted, and the money he wanted, so you know, good on him for, for, for getting what he wanted."

Lee was 77 games shy of reaching 1,000 games with the Islanders.