Tampa Bay Lightning
Encyclopedia
The Tampa Bay Lightning are a professional ice hockey
team based in Tampa, Florida
. They are members of the Southeast Division
of the Eastern Conference
of the National Hockey League
(NHL). They have one Stanley Cup
championship in their history, in 2003–04
. They are often referred to as the Bolts, and the nickname
is used on their current third jersey
. They play their home games in the St. Pete Times Forum
in Tampa.
is often used to describe a geographic metropolitan area which encompasses the cities around the body of water known as Tampa Bay
, including Tampa
, St. Petersburg
, Clearwater
, and Bradenton
. Unlike in the case of Green Bay, Wisconsin
, there is no municipality known as "Tampa Bay". The "Tampa Bay" in the names of local professional sports franchises (Lightning, Rowdies, Rays
, Bucs
, etc.) denotes that they represent the entire region, not just Tampa or St. Petersburg.
area decided to bid for a franchise: a St. Petersburg-based group fronted by future Hartford Whalers
/Carolina Hurricanes
owners Peter Karmanos and Jim Rutherford
, and a Tampa-based group fronted by two Hall of Famers
—Phil Esposito
and his brother Tony
.
On paper, it looked like the Karmanos/Rutherford group was the frontrunner. Not only was the Karmanos/Rutherford group better financed, but one of Esposito's key backers, the Pritzker family
, had backed out a few months before the bid. Esposito eventually recruited a consortium of Japan
ese businesses headed by Kokusai Green, a golf course and resort operator. The prospect of Japanese backing tipped the scales in the Esposito group's favor, and they were awarded an expansion franchise for the 1992–93 season, as was a group in Ottawa
(which became the Senators
). One of the limited partners in the new Tampa Bay team was New York Yankees
owner George Steinbrenner
, who lived in Tampa during the year.
According to former NHL president Gil Stein
, another factor was that the Karmanos/Rutherford group wanted to pay only $29 million before starting play, while the Esposito group was one of the few willing to pay the entire $50 million expansion fee up front.
After being awarded the franchise, the team's management brought in star power before they had any players. Phil Esposito installed himself as president and general manager
, while Tony became chief scout. Terry Crisp, who played for the Philadelphia Flyers
when they won two Stanley Cup
s in the mid-1970s, and coached the Calgary Flames
to a Cup in 1989, was tapped as the first head coach. The team was named the Lightning, after Tampa's status as the "Lightning Capital of North America".
Phil Esposito initially attempted to recreate the mystique from the powerhouse Bruins of the 70s; he hired former linemate Wayne Cashman
as an assistant coach, former Bruin trainer John "Frosty" Forristal as the team's trainer, and the inaugural team photo has him flanked by Cashman and player Ken Hodge, Jr.
, son of his other Bruins' linemate. The team turned heads in the preseason when Manon Rheaume
became the first woman to play in an NHL game, making her first of two NHL appearances in an exhibition game against the St. Louis Blues.
The Lightning first took the ice on October 7, 1992, playing in Tampa's tiny 11,000-seat Expo Hall
at the Florida State Fairgrounds. They shocked the visiting Chicago Blackhawks
7-3 with four goals by little-known Chris Kontos
, a scoring mark unmatched by any Lightning player. The Lightning shot to the top of the Campbell Conference
's Norris Division
within a month, behind Kontos' initial torrid scoring pace and a breakout season by forward Brian Bradley
. However, they buckled under the strain of some of the longest road trips in the league—their nearest division rival, the Blues, were over 1,000 miles away—and finished in last place. Their 53 points in 1992-93, however, was one of the best showings ever by an NHL expansion team. Bradley's 42 goals gave Tampa Bay fans optimism for the next season; it would be a team record until the 2006–07 season when Vincent Lecavalier
passed it with a career high 52 goals.
As part of the Norris Division, Tampa Bay had rivalries with teams in Chicago
, Detroit
, and Minnesota
, similar to how the Buccaneers
were in the same division
as the Bears
, Lions
, and Vikings
.
The following season saw the Lightning shift to the Eastern Conference
's Atlantic Division
, as well as move into the Florida Suncoast Dome
(a building originally designed for baseball) in St. Petersburg, which was reconfigured for hockey and renamed "the Thunderdome". The team picked up goaltender
Daren Puppa
, left-wing
goal scorer Petr Klima
and aging sniper Denis Savard
. While Puppa's play resulted in a significant improvement in goals allowed (from 332 to 251), Savard was long past his prime and Klima's scoring was offset by his defensive lapses. The Lightning finished last in the Atlantic Division. Another disappointing season followed in the lockout-shortened 1995 season. Still, the Lightning appeared to be far ahead of their expansion brethren, the Ottawa Senators
. In marked contrast to the Lightning, the Senators showed almost no sign of respectability in their first four seasons.
scoring a total of 31 goals, and Roman Hamrlik
(the team's first-ever draft choice in 1992
) having an All-Star year on defense, the Lightning finally qualified for the playoffs, nosing out the defending Stanley Cup
champion New Jersey Devils
for the eighth spot in the Eastern Conference by a single game. Due to his stellar play in net, Puppa was named a finalist for the Vezina Trophy
(losing out to Jim Carey of Washington
). Although they lost their first-round series in six games to the Philadelphia Flyers
, it still remains a magical season for Lightning fans. The Thunderdome crowd of 28,183 for the April 23 playoff game against the Flyers was the largest crowd for any NHL game, a record that stood until the 2003 Heritage Classic in Edmonton
.
The Lightning picked up sniper Dino Ciccarelli
from the Detroit Red Wings
during the 1996 off-season, and he did not disappoint, scoring 35 goals in the 1996–97 season, with Chris Gratton
notching another 30. The team moved into a glittering new arena, the Ice Palace (now the St. Pete Times Forum
) and appeared destined for another playoff spot. However, the Lightning suffered a devastating rash of injuries. Puppa developed back trouble that kept him out of all but four games during the season; he would only play a total of 50 games from 1996 until his retirement in 2000. Bradley also lost time to a series of injuries that would limit him to a total of 49 games from 1996 until his retirement in December 1999. Center
John Cullen
developed non-Hodgkin lymphoma
, and missed the last 12 games of the 1996–97 season; he would eventually be forced to retire in 1999. Decimated by these ailments, the Lightning narrowly missed the playoffs. It would be seven years before the Lightning would even come close to the playoffs again.
Most of the Lightning's early stars were gone by 1998 due to free agency and trades by Phil Esposito which backfired. Crisp was fired eleven games into the 1997–98 season and replaced by Jacques Demers. Though Demers had presided over the resurgence of the Detroit Red Wings
in the 1980s and helmed a Stanley Cup run in Montreal
in 1993, he was unable to change the team's fortunes, and the Lightning ended up losing 55 games.
By all accounts, the Lightning's plunge to the bottom of the NHL was due to the way Kokusai Green ran the team. Rumors abounded as early as the team's second season that the Lightning were on the brink of bankruptcy
and that the team was part of a money laundering
scheme for the yakuza
(Japanese crime families). Its scouting operation consisted of Tony Esposito and several satellite dishes. The Internal Revenue Service
investigated the team in 1994 and 1995, and nearly slapped a lien on the team for $750,000 in back taxes. The situation led longtime NHL broadcaster and writer Stan Fischler
to call the Lightning a "skating vaudeville show".
Even in their first playoff season, the team was awash in red ink and Kokusai Green was looking to sell at any price. However, the sale was hampered by the team's murky ownership structure; even some team officials (including Crisp) didn't know who really owned the team. Another problem was that Kokusai Green initially demanded $230 million for the team, including the lease with the Ice Palace.
It later emerged that Kokusai Green's owner, Takashi Okubo, had never met with Esposito or with NHL officials in person prior to being awarded the Lightning. During his seven years as owner, Okubo never watched his team play, and never even visited Tampa. Esposito never met him personally in his hunt for investors, for instance. Nearly all of Kokusai Green's investment in the team and the Ice Palace came in the form of loans, leaving the team constantly short of cash. At least prospective buyer pulled out after expressing doubts that Okubo even existed. In fact, the first time anyone connected with the Lightning or the NHL even saw Okubo was in the spring of 1998. Many of Esposito's trades came simply to keep the team above water. The team's financial situation was a considerable concern to NHL officials; rumors surfaced that the league was seriously considering taking control of the team if Okubo failed to find a buyer by the summer of 1998.
Forbes
wrote an article in late 1997 calling the Lightning a financial nightmare, with a debt equal to a staggering 236% of its value—the highest of any major North American sports franchise. Even though the Ice Palace was built for hockey and the Lightning were the only major tenant, Forbes called the team's deal with the arena a lemon since it would not result in much revenue for 30 years. It was also behind on paying state sales taxes and federal payroll taxes.http://www.sptimes.com/Lightning/lh.1203.finances.html
Finally, in 1998, Kokusai Green found a buyer. Although Detroit Pistons
owner William Davidson
was thought to be the frontrunner, the buyer turned out to be insurance
tycoon and motivational speaker Art Williams
. Williams walked into a difficult financial situation; the team was $102 million in debt at the time the sale closed. Like the Japanese, Williams knew very little about hockey. However, he was very visible and outspoken, and immediately pumped an additional $6 million into the team's payroll to turn it around. He also cleared most of the massive debt left over from the Kokusai Green era. After taking control, Williams publicly assured the Espositos that their jobs were safe, only to fire them two games into the 1998–99 season. He then gave Demers complete control of hockey operations as both coach and general manager. Despite the clouds still hovering over the franchise, the Lightning drafted Vincent Lecavalier
in 1998, a player who would be a cornerstone of the team for years to come.
Williams was widely seen as being in over his head and was an easy target for his NHL colleagues, who called him "Jed Clampett
" behind his back because of his thick Southern accent and fundamentalist Christian views. Early in the 1998–99 season, the Lightning lost 10 games in a row, all but ending any chance of making the playoffs. They ended up losing 54 games that year—more than the expansion Nashville Predators
. Although some blame Williams for the slide, it can be argued that the damage from the Kokusai Green era was too much for Williams to overcome.
http://www.lcshockey.com/issues/115/tam.asp
Williams sold the team for $115 million—$2 million less than he had paid for the team a year earlier—to Davidson, who had almost bought the team a year earlier. Along with the sale, the Lightning picked up a new top minor league affiliate; Davidson also owned the Detroit Vipers
of the now-defunct International Hockey League.
Davidson remained in Detroit, but appointed Tom Wilson as team president to handle day-to-day management of the team. Wilson immediately fired Demers, who despite his best efforts (and fatherly attitude toward Lecavalier) was unable to overcome the damage from the Kokusai Green ownership. Wilson persuaded Ottawa Senators
general manager Rick Dudley
to take over as the Lightning's new general manager; Dudley in turn brought Vipers coach Steve Ludzik
in as the team's new head coach. Wilson, Dudley, and Ludzik had helped make the Vipers one of the premier minor league hockey franchises, having won a Turner Cup
in only their third season in Detroit (the team had originally been based in Salt Lake City
).
However, as had been the case with Demers, the damage from the last few seasons under Kokusai Green was too much for Ludzik to overcome. Even with a wholesale transfer of talent from Detroit to Tampa (a move that eventually doomed the Vipers, which folded along with the IHL in 2001), the Lightning lost 54 games in 1999–2000 and 52 in 2000–01, becoming the first team in NHL history to post four straight 50-loss seasons. The lone bright spots in those years were the blossoming of Lecavalier and Brad Richards
into NHL stars. Ludzik was replaced in early 2001 by career NHL assistant John Tortorella
.
The 2001–02 season, Tortorella's first full year behind the bench, saw some improvement. While finishing far out of playoff contention, the Lightning at least showed some signs of life, earning more than 60 points for the first time since 1997. Tortorella stripped Lecavalier of the captaincy due to contract negotiations that had made the young center miss the start of the season.
, and Fredrik Modin
, the Lightning were thought to be very close to respectability. However, they arrived somewhat earlier than expected in 2002–03. The young team was led by the goaltending of Nikolai Khabibulin
and the scoring efforts of Lecavalier, St. Louis, Modin, Richards, and Ruslan Fedotenko
, and also boasted a new captain, former prolific scorer Dave Andreychuk
. Throughout the season, the Lightning battled the Washington Capitals
for first place in the Southeast Division. They finished with 93 points, breaking the 90-point barrier for the first time in team history. They won the division by just one point, giving them home-ice advantage in their first round match-up with the Caps. At season's end, Coach Tortorella was recognized for his efforts by being named a finalist for the Jack Adams Award
, loosing out to Jacques Lemaire
of Minnesota
.
In the playoffs the Lightning quickly fell two games behind in the series but followed the two losses with four consecutive wins which advanced them to the Conference Semifinals for the first time in team history. In the semifinals the Lightning won only one game, losing the series to the New Jersey Devils
. The Devils went on to win the Stanley Cup, but the Lightning's return to the post-season pleased the long-suffering hockey fans of the Tampa Bay area.
The Lightning roared through the 2003–04 regular season, finishing with 106 points, second-best in the league after the Western Conference's Detroit Red Wings
—the first 100-point season in franchise history. The Lightning went through the season with only 20 man-games lost to injury. In the first round of the playoffs, the Lightning ousted the Alexei Yashin
-led New York Islanders
in five games, with solid play from goaltender Nikolai Khabibulin
, who posted 3 shutouts in games 1, 3, and 4.
In the second round, the Lightning faced the Montreal Canadiens
, captained by Saku Koivu
; Lecavalier, Richards, and Khabibulin led the team to a four-game sweep of Montreal. They next faced Keith Primeau
and his Philadelphia Flyers
in the Conference Finals. After a tightly-fought seven-game series in which neither team was able to win consecutive games, Fredrik Modin
notched the winning goal of the seventh and deciding game, earning the Eastern Conference Championship for the Lightning and their first-ever berth in the Stanley Cup
Finals.
Their opponent in the final round was the Calgary Flames
, captained by Jarome Iginla
. The final round also went the full seven games, with the deciding game played in the St. Pete Times Forum on June 7, 2004. This time, Ruslan Fedotenko
was the Game 7 hero, scoring both Lightning goals in a 2-1 victory. Brad Richards
, who had 26 points, won the Conn Smythe Trophy
as the most valuable player of the Stanley Cup playoffs; the Lightning had won all 31 contests in which he had scored a goal since the opening of the season. Tortorella won the Jack Adams Award
as the NHL's Coach of the Year. Only three years after losing 50 games, the Lightning became the southernmost team ever to win the Stanley Cup, in only their 12th year of existence. Martin St. Louis
led the team and the NHL with 94 points (his 38 goals were fourth-most after the 41 of tied trio Iginla, Rick Nash
, and Ilya Kovalchuk
), and won the Hart Memorial Trophy
as the league's most valuable player. St. Louis also won the Lester B. Pearson Award
for league's most outstanding player as voted by the NHL Players' Association, and tied the Vancouver Canucks
' Marek Malik
for the NHL Plus/Minus Award
. A season of superlatives was capped with one final accolade, as The Sporting News
named GM Jay Feaster as the league's executive of the year for 2003-4.
The Lightning had to wait a year to defend their title due to the 2004–05 NHL lockout, but in 2005–06 they barely made the playoffs with 93 points in a conference where six teams notched 100 or more points. They lost to the Ottawa Senators
in five games in the first round.
and Fredrik Norrena
, to the Columbus Blue Jackets
for goaltender Marc Denis
, to replace John Grahame
, who had served as the Lightning's goaltender throughout most of the 2005–06 season, as he left the team, and signed with the Carolina Hurricanes
. Free agent Johan Holmqvist
would eventually get the majority of playing time, and most of the club's wins. The first half of the 2006-07 NHL Season
was rocky for the Lightning, maintaining an 18-19-2 record throughout the first few months. January and February were far better months for the team, going 9-4-0 in January, and 9-2-2 in February, getting them back into the thick of things in the playoff race. 14 games in March were split even, and on March 16, 2007, Vincent Lecavalier
broke the franchise record for most points in a season, with 95 (finishing with 108). The record was previously held by Martin St. Louis
, who had set the record in the 2003–04 Stanley Cup Championship year. Lecavalier also broke the franchise's goal scoring record, finishing with a league-leading 52 goals.
The Lightning were busy during the final weeks before the NHL Trade Deadline, acquiring wingers Kyle Wanvig
, Stephen Baby
, and defensemen Shane O'Brien. Former first round pick Nikita Alexeev
was traded on the day of the deadline to the Chicago Blackhawks
. Other new additions for the team during the season were Filip Kuba
, Luke Richardson
, and Doug Janik
. Veteran Andre Roy
, who had won the Stanley Cup
with the Lightning in 2004, was claimed off waivers from the Pittsburgh Penguins
.
Throughout March, the Lightning had been switching places with the Atlanta Thrashers
for first place in the Southeast Division. With a chance to overtake the Thrashers one final time and once again become division champions for the third time in team history, on April 6, 2007, in the final week of the regular season, the Lighting suffered a loss to the Florida Panthers
, the night before the season finale in Atlanta. That same night, the Thrashers defeated the Carolina Hurricanes
, and clinched the division. For the Lightning, this meant having to settle for the seventh seed in the Eastern Conference
, with a final record of 44-33-5 (93 points).
The Lightning were eliminated from playoff competition on April 22, after a 3-2 home loss to the New Jersey Devils in game six of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals.
Following their playoff exit, on August 7, 2007, Absolute Hockey Enterprises, a group led by Doug MacLean
, announced it had signed a purchase agreement for the team and the leasehold on the St. Pete Times Forum
. MacLean is the former president and general manager of the Columbus Blue Jackets
and former head coach for both the Blue Jackets and the Florida Panthers
. The group announced that it planned to keep the team in Tampa, but the deal fell apart during the 2007-08 season.
The Lightning struggled to maintain success during the 2007–2008 campaign. Although the "Big 3", (Lecavalier, St. Louis, and Richards) along with Vaclav Prospal, had performed up to expectations, they had little consistent play from supporting players.
At the start of the All-Star Break on January 25, the Lightning had a 20–25–5 record, and with 45 points, were in last place in both the Southeast Division, and the Eastern Conference. Only the Los Angeles Kings
had a lower point total at this time of the season, with 40 points.
On February 13, 2008, it was announced that Palace Sports & Entertainment had agreed to sell the Lightning to OK Hockey LLC, a group headed by Oren Koules
, a producer of the Saw horror movies.
The Lightning were active during the trade deadline, similar to the previous season. The more notable trades included Vaclav Prospal
being dealt to the Philadelphia Flyers
for AHL
All-Star defenseman Alexandre Picard
and a conditional draft pick. Former Conn Smythe Trophy
winner, Brad Richards
and goaltender Johan Holmqvist
were sent to the Dallas Stars
, for goaltender Mike Smith, and forwards Jussi Jokinen
and Jeff Halpern
, as well as a fourth round pick in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft
. One player with considerable ice time, Jan Hlavac
, was traded to the Nashville Predators
for a seventh round pick in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft
. Defenseman Dan Boyle, was re-signed to a 6-year contract extension, reportedly worth $40 million.
However, after the trade deadline, the Lightning fared no better than they had throughout the entire season. With the day of the deadline being February 26, the Lightning won only five games after that date. Finishing with a 31–42–9 record, with 71 points, they had the best chance at getting the top overall pick in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft
through the draft lottery, and was awarded the top overall pick by winning the draft lottery on April 7. They would use their first overall pick to select Steven Stamkos
, who had been playing in the Ontario Hockey League
prior to the draft.
The Lightning were the worst team on the road in the NHL, winning only 11 games. Another showing of the team's poor play, was the difference from the previous season's success in the overtime/shootout periods. In the 2006–07 season, the Lightning had one of the best extra period records, winning 15 games in either overtime or the shootout. In the 2007–08 season, they won only 3 games, losing 9.
Vincent Lecavalier
suffered a dislocated shoulder as the result of an open-ice hit from Matt Cooke
of the Washington Capitals
, in the game before the season finale in Atlanta. Lecavalier, who planned on having arthroscopic wrist surgery after the season's ending, would undergo surgery to repair his right shoulder as well. Cooke was fined $2,500 by the NHL for the hit, because Lecavalier did not have possession of the puck at the time. Perhaps the lone bright spot in the season was Lecavalier's winning the King Clancy Memorial Trophy
for work through his foundation, including a $3 million pledge to All Children's Hospital
in St. Petersburg, Florida for what would become the Vincent Lecavalier Pediatric Cancer and Blood Disorders Center at All Children's Hospital.
John Tortorella
was fired by the Lightning following their worst season since Tortorella was hired. At the time working as an NHL analyst for ESPN, Barry Melrose
stated on June 4 during an episode of Pardon the Interruption
that he missed coaching and would entertain any NHL coaching offers. He stated, "I miss not having a dog in the fight". On June 23, ESPN reported that Melrose had been chosen to be the head coach of the Tampa Bay Lightning, starting in the 2008-2009 NHL season. The next day, the Lightning officially introduced him as their new head coach.
As a harbinger of new ownership's sketchy hockey-IQ, on July 4, 2008, and despite coming off a recent contract extension, Boyle was traded along with Brad Lukowich
to the San Jose Sharks
in exchange for Matt Carle
, Ty Wishart
, a first round draft pick in 2009
and a fourth round draft pick in 2010
. Boyle was pressured to waive his no-trade clause by Tampa Bay's ownership, who said they would otherwise place him on waivers where he would likely be claimed by the Atlanta Thrashers. Frustrated at interference in the team's hockey operations by Barrie
and Koules
, seven days later GM Jay Feaster saw the handwriting on the wall and resigned, despite having 3 years remaining on his contract.
against the New York Rangers
as a part of the NHL
's regular season "Premiere" that selects several teams to open the NHL regular season in Europe
.
Barry Melrose
would record his first win as a head coach in over 13 years on October 21, 2008 with a 3–2 victory over the Atlanta Thrashers
. However, the Lightning did not get off to a great start as hoped, and Melrose was fired by the Lightning with a 5–7–4 record. Rick Tocchet
, who had been hired as assistant coach during the previous offseason, was promoted to interim head coach.
On March 4 NHL veterans Mark Recchi
and Olaf Kolzig
were traded by the Tampa Bay Lightning to the Boston Bruins
and Toronto Maple Leafs
respectively.
The Lightning acquired top round picks Matt Lashoff
and Martins Karsums
from the Bruins.
After the firing of Melrose, the Lightning went 19–33–14, and would finish the season 24–40–18 with 66 points, their lowest point total since the 2000–01 season. With the 2nd overall pick in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft
, the Lightning selected Victor Hedman
.
, and decided to make him the full-time coach with a multi-year contract. The Lightning had an up and down beginning to the 2009–10 campaign, however Martin St. Louis and Vincent Lecavalier continued to show strong leadership. Despite an overmatched roster on paper, and a team that struggled in the first 2 periods of many games, the Lightning remained competitive in the playoff race until March, when they went 5–10–1 for the month and fell 8 points out of a playoff spot. Unable to make a final push for the playoffs, they were officially eliminated from contention within the first week of April. The Lightning finished the season 34–36–12, 4th in the Southeast Division, and 12th in the Eastern Conference.
Steven Stamkos
scored 51 goals in just his second NHL season, earning himself a share of the Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy by finishing tied for the league lead in goals with Pittsburgh Penguins
star Sidney Crosby
.
During the season, the team was sold to Boston investment banker Jeffrey Vinik
. Following the late-season collapse, Vinik cleaned house, firing both Rick Tocchet
, the head coach, and Brian Lawton
, the general manager, on April 12, 2010, one day after the season ended.
In May 2010, Vinik hired Steve Yzerman
away from the Detroit Red Wings
front office to be the new general manager, signing him to a five-year contract. Yzerman then hired Guy Boucher
away from the Montreal Canadiens
organization to succeed Tocchet as the head coach two weeks later.
Yzerman's first offseason with Tampa Bay began with a splash. With the 6th pick of the 2010 NHL Entry Draft
, the Lightning selected forward Brett Connolly
despite a history of injuries while playing for the Prince George Cougars
. When asked about Connolly's injuries being a factor in the decision to draft him, Yzerman boldly declared, "I think it was a factor that he was available with the 6th pick. Because if he had been healthy all year, based on everything I know, he would not have been available with the 6th pick." On July 1, 2010 veteran blueliner Andrej Meszaros was traded to the Philadelphia Flyers
in exchange for their 2nd round pick in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft
. Later that day, the Lightning signed their star winger Martin St. Louis
to a lucrative 4-year contract extension worth $22.5 million beginning on July 1, 2011. On July 19, in another move with the Flyers, the Lightning traded defenseman Matt Walker and Tampa Bay's 4th round pick in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft in exchange for high scoring winger Simon Gagne
. Other offseason acquisitions included the signing of forwards Sean Bergenheim
, Dominic Moore
and Marc-Antoine Pouliot
along with defensemen Brett Clark, Randy Jones and Pavel Kubina
, goaltender Dan Ellis
and the re-signing of restricted free agent forward Steve Downie
to a 2-year, $3.7 million deal.
who played with a 95% save percentages and a 1.00 GAA in two games. Since Dan Ellis
was not a strong starting goaltender, Steve Yzerman acquired veteran Dwayne Roloson
from the New York Islanders
.
The Lightning compiled a 46–25–11 record with 103 points, matching a franchise record for wins in a season. After holding the first place in the Southeast Division for several months, they fell to second after a poor performance in March. Their record was good enough for second in the Southeast Division and fifth in the Eastern Conference, and they returned to the playoffs for the first time since the 2006–07 season. Scoring 31 goals and assisting on 68, Martin St. Louis
finished second in the league in points.
In the 2011 Stanley Cup Playoffs
, Tampa Bay drew the Pittsburgh Penguins
in the Conference Quarterfinals. After losing Game 4 at home in the second overtime period, they fell behind in the series one game to three. However, the Lightning went on to win the next three games, including a 1–0 Game 7 win on the road, taking their first playoff series since winning the Stanley Cup
in 2004. In the Conference Semifinals, the Lightning swept the top-seeded Washington Capitals
.
Tampa Bay went up against the Boston Bruins
in the Eastern Conference Finals. In Game 4 of the series, the Lightning trailed 3–0 at the end of the first period. When Dwayne Roloson was pulled for Mike Smith, the Bruins failed to score again, and the Lightning tied the game in the second period by scoring three goals in 3:58, going on to win the game 5–3 and tying the series at two games apiece. The series went the full seven games, but the Lightning were eliminated and denied a Stanley Cup Final by a single goal, as the game was lost (0-1).
is the color commentator for home games. Matthew Sammon is the pregame and intermission host. The Lightning television broadcasts can be seen on Sun Sports
. The television play-by-play announcer is Rick Peckham
. The color commentator is Bobby Taylor
. The studio host is Paul Kennedy
. Todd Kalas
and Whit Watson
also host in select home games. Brittany Zion is the in-arena host. Former Lightning players Chris Dingman
and Dave Andreychuk
assist with the television broadcasts on occasion.
wave and rain design on the front and back, lightning bolts down the sleeves, a silver-gray shoulder yoke, and black gussets. The third jersey was retired after the 1998-99 season.
In their first two seasons, the Lightning used a stylized block font for player names, with gaps in the upper loops of letters such as A, B, D, and R. The numbers were standard block numbers with drop shadow
s. The fonts were vertical in 1992-93, and italicized in 1993-94. The following season, the name font changed to a block font, vertically arched, while the number font changed to a painted style resembling the letters "Tampa Bay" in the logo. This style was also used on the blue alternate in 1998-99, replacing an "electrified" number font from 1996-98. In 2000-01, the old fonts were replaced with traditional block letters and numbers, which have been used ever since.
As with all NHL teams for the 2007–08 season, the Lightning debuted in new Reebok "Rbk Edge" jerseys. Also, like several other NHL teams, the Lightning updated their team logo.
The Lightning unveiled their new logo on August 25, 2007. The new logo is similar to the old one, but with a more modern look. The new logo also kept the same theme as the previous one, but with the words "Tampa Bay" across the top now appearing with tall capital initials, and the word "Lightning" no longer appearing on the bottom of the logo.
The Edge jerseys use the same template adopted by the Ottawa Senators and Pittsburgh Penguins. Unlike those teams, the Lightning's elbow panels remain the base color of the jersey, and an additional blue panel is added near the cuff of the sleeve. The Edge uniforms retain the underarm gusset "victory stripes" of their predecessors.
It was reported on January 23, 2011 that the Lightning had filed paperwork with the NHL to change their logo and colors, beginning with the 2011–12 season. The new logo, as well as the new home and away jerseys, were unveiled by the team at a press conference at the St. Pete Times Forum on January 31, 2011.
third jersey). The numbers are featured on the back and sleeves only, using white lettering.
named ThunderBug. He performs at games and makes appearances in the community. According to the Lightning website http://lightning.nhl.com/team/app/?service=page&page=NHLPage&bcid=tbl_content_1395, his hobbies include "wrestling Florida Panthers
, Shark
fishing, hunting Ducks
, trap shooting Thrashers
and Carolina
Hog tying".
Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, OTL = Overtime Losses, Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against
Records as of April 10, 2011.
Retired numbers: The Lightning have not retired any numbers. However, Wayne Gretzky
's number 99 was retired league-wide February 6, 2000.
Note: Pos = Position; GP = Games Played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; P/G = Points per game; * = current Lightning player
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
team based in Tampa, Florida
Tampa, Florida
Tampa is a city in the U.S. state of Florida. It serves as the county seat for Hillsborough County. Tampa is located on the west coast of Florida. The population of Tampa in 2010 was 335,709....
. They are members of the Southeast Division
Southeast Division (NHL)
The NHL's Southeast Division was formed in 1998 as part of the Eastern Conference due to expansion.The Southeast Division is the only one of the six divisions that does not have a precursor from the Wales/Campbell conference era ....
of the Eastern Conference
Eastern Conference (NHL)
The Eastern Conference is one of two conferences in the National Hockey League used to divide teams. Its counterpart is the Western Conference....
of the National Hockey League
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
(NHL). They have one Stanley Cup
Stanley Cup
The Stanley Cup is an ice hockey club trophy, awarded annually to the National Hockey League playoffs champion after the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Finals. It has been referred to as The Cup, Lord Stanley's Cup, The Holy Grail, or facetiously as Lord Stanley's Mug...
championship in their history, in 2003–04
2004 Stanley Cup Finals
The 2004 Stanley Cup Finals was a best-of-seven playoff series that determined the National Hockey League champion for the 2003–04 season. As a culmination of the 2004 Stanley Cup playoffs, the Eastern Conference champion Tampa Bay Lightning defeated the Western Conference champion Calgary Flames...
. They are often referred to as the Bolts, and the nickname
Nickname
A nickname is "a usually familiar or humorous but sometimes pointed or cruel name given to a person or place, as a supposedly appropriate replacement for or addition to the proper name.", or a name similar in origin and pronunciation from the original name....
is used on their current third jersey
Third jersey
A third jersey or alternate jersey is a sports team's alternate and/or throwback design for the previously established other two jerseys, the home and away outfits. Alternate jerseys are used in all four of the North American major professional sports leagues as well as college sports, semipro...
. They play their home games in the St. Pete Times Forum
St. Pete Times Forum
The St. Pete Times Forum is an arena in Tampa, Florida, that has been used for ice hockey, basketball, and arena football games, as well as concerts....
in Tampa.
"Tampa Bay"
The name "Tampa Bay"Tampa Bay Area
The Tampa Bay Area is the region of west central Florida adjacent to Tampa Bay. Definitions of the region vary. It is often considered equivalent to the Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater Metropolitan Statistical Area defined by the United States Census Bureau. The Census Bureau currently...
is often used to describe a geographic metropolitan area which encompasses the cities around the body of water known as Tampa Bay
Tampa Bay
Tampa Bay is a large natural harbor and estuary along the Gulf of Mexico on the west central coast of Florida, comprising Hillsborough Bay, Old Tampa Bay, Middle Tampa Bay, and Lower Tampa Bay."Tampa Bay" is not the name of any municipality...
, including Tampa
Tampa, Florida
Tampa is a city in the U.S. state of Florida. It serves as the county seat for Hillsborough County. Tampa is located on the west coast of Florida. The population of Tampa in 2010 was 335,709....
, St. Petersburg
St. Petersburg, Florida
St. Petersburg is a city in Pinellas County, Florida, United States. It is known as a vacation destination for both American and foreign tourists. As of 2008, the population estimate by the U.S. Census Bureau is 245,314, making St...
, Clearwater
Clearwater, Florida
Clearwater is a city located in Pinellas County, Florida, US, nearly due west of Tampa and northwest of St. Petersburg. In the west of Clearwater lies the Gulf of Mexico and in the east lies Tampa Bay. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 108,787. It is the county seat of...
, and Bradenton
Bradenton, Florida
Bradenton is a city in Manatee County, Florida, United States. The U.S. Census Bureau estimated the city's 2007 population to be 53,471. Bradenton is the largest Principal City of the Bradenton-Sarasota-Venice, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area, which had a 2007 estimated population of 682,833...
. Unlike in the case of Green Bay, Wisconsin
Green Bay, Wisconsin
Green Bay is a city in and the county seat of Brown County in the U.S. state of Wisconsin, located at the head of Green Bay, a sub-basin of Lake Michigan, at the mouth of the Fox River. It has an elevation of above sea level and is located north of Milwaukee. As of the 2010 United States Census,...
, there is no municipality known as "Tampa Bay". The "Tampa Bay" in the names of local professional sports franchises (Lightning, Rowdies, Rays
Tampa Bay Rays
The Tampa Bay Rays are a Major League Baseball team based in St. Petersburg, Florida. The Rays are a member of the Eastern Division of MLB's American League. Since their inception in , the club has played at Tropicana Field...
, Bucs
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football franchise based in Tampa, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the Southern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League – they are the only team in the division not to come from the old NFC West...
, etc.) denotes that they represent the entire region, not just Tampa or St. Petersburg.
Early years
In the late 1980s, the NHL announced that it would expand. Two rival groups from the Tampa/St. PetersburgSt. Petersburg, Florida
St. Petersburg is a city in Pinellas County, Florida, United States. It is known as a vacation destination for both American and foreign tourists. As of 2008, the population estimate by the U.S. Census Bureau is 245,314, making St...
area decided to bid for a franchise: a St. Petersburg-based group fronted by future Hartford Whalers
Hartford Whalers
The Hartford Whalers were a professional ice hockey team based for most of its existence in Hartford, Connecticut, U.S.A.. The club played in the World Hockey Association from 1972–79 and in the National Hockey League from 1979–97...
/Carolina Hurricanes
Carolina Hurricanes
The Carolina Hurricanes are a professional ice hockey team based in Raleigh, North Carolina, USA. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League , and play their home games at the 18,680-seat RBC Center...
owners Peter Karmanos and Jim Rutherford
Jim Rutherford
James Earl Rutherford is a former professional ice hockey goaltender who played in the National Hockey League for the Detroit Red Wings, Toronto Maple Leafs, Pittsburgh Penguins, and Los Angeles Kings in the 1970s and 1980s...
, and a Tampa-based group fronted by two Hall of Famers
Hockey Hall of Fame
The Hockey Hall of Fame is located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Dedicated to the history of ice hockey, it is both a museum and a hall of fame. It holds exhibits about players, teams, National Hockey League records, memorabilia and NHL trophies, including the Stanley Cup...
—Phil Esposito
Phil Esposito
Philip Anthony Esposito, OC is a former Canadian professional ice hockey centre who played 18 seasons in the National Hockey League for the Chicago Black Hawks, Boston Bruins and New York Rangers. He is an Honoured Member of the Hockey Hall of Fame and is considered to be one of the best to have...
and his brother Tony
Tony Esposito
For the Italian musician, please see Tony Esposito .Anthony James "Tony O" Esposito is a retired Canadian-American professional ice hockey goaltender, who played in the National Hockey League, most notably for the Chicago Black Hawks. He was one of the pioneers of the now popular butterfly style....
.
On paper, it looked like the Karmanos/Rutherford group was the frontrunner. Not only was the Karmanos/Rutherford group better financed, but one of Esposito's key backers, the Pritzker family
Pritzker family
The Pritzker family is one of America's wealthiest families, and has been near the top of Forbes magazine's "America's Richest Families" list since the magazine began in 1982....
, had backed out a few months before the bid. Esposito eventually recruited a consortium of Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese businesses headed by Kokusai Green, a golf course and resort operator. The prospect of Japanese backing tipped the scales in the Esposito group's favor, and they were awarded an expansion franchise for the 1992–93 season, as was a group in Ottawa
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
(which became the Senators
Ottawa Senators
The Ottawa Senators are a professional ice hockey team based in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
). One of the limited partners in the new Tampa Bay team was New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
owner George Steinbrenner
George Steinbrenner
George Michael Steinbrenner III was an American businessman who was the principal owner and managing partner of Major League Baseball's New York Yankees. During Steinbrenner's 37-year ownership from 1973 to his death in July 2010, the longest in club history, the Yankees earned seven World Series...
, who lived in Tampa during the year.
According to former NHL president Gil Stein
Gil Stein (sports administrator)
Gilbert Stein is an American lawyer, law instructor and former professional ice hockey executive. Stein served with the National Hockey League as vice-president and legal counsel for nearly 15 years before becoming the fifth and last president of the NHL in 1992...
, another factor was that the Karmanos/Rutherford group wanted to pay only $29 million before starting play, while the Esposito group was one of the few willing to pay the entire $50 million expansion fee up front.
After being awarded the franchise, the team's management brought in star power before they had any players. Phil Esposito installed himself as president and general manager
General manager
General manager is a descriptive term for certain executives in a business operation. It is also a formal title held by some business executives, most commonly in the hospitality industry.-Generic usage:...
, while Tony became chief scout. Terry Crisp, who played for the Philadelphia Flyers
Philadelphia Flyers
The Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
when they won two Stanley Cup
Stanley Cup
The Stanley Cup is an ice hockey club trophy, awarded annually to the National Hockey League playoffs champion after the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Finals. It has been referred to as The Cup, Lord Stanley's Cup, The Holy Grail, or facetiously as Lord Stanley's Mug...
s in the mid-1970s, and coached the Calgary Flames
Calgary Flames
The Calgary Flames are a professional ice hockey team based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is the third major-professional ice hockey team to represent the city of Calgary, following the...
to a Cup in 1989, was tapped as the first head coach. The team was named the Lightning, after Tampa's status as the "Lightning Capital of North America".
Phil Esposito initially attempted to recreate the mystique from the powerhouse Bruins of the 70s; he hired former linemate Wayne Cashman
Wayne Cashman
Wayne Cashman is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player and a former NHL head coach.-Playing career:Cashman played his junior hockey as a teammate of Bobby Orr's on the Oshawa Generals of the OHA...
as an assistant coach, former Bruin trainer John "Frosty" Forristal as the team's trainer, and the inaugural team photo has him flanked by Cashman and player Ken Hodge, Jr.
Ken Hodge, Jr.
Kenneth David Hodge, Jr. , was a Canadian-born American-raised professional hockey player for the Minnesota North Stars, Boston Bruins, and Tampa Bay Lightning...
, son of his other Bruins' linemate. The team turned heads in the preseason when Manon Rheaume
Manon Rhéaume
Manon Rhéaume is a Canadian ice hockey goaltender. An Olympic silver medalist, she achieved a number of historic firsts during her career, including becoming the first and only woman ever to play in a National Hockey League exhibition game.In 1992 Rhéaume signed a contract with the Tampa Bay...
became the first woman to play in an NHL game, making her first of two NHL appearances in an exhibition game against the St. Louis Blues.
The Lightning first took the ice on October 7, 1992, playing in Tampa's tiny 11,000-seat Expo Hall
Expo Hall
Expo Hall is an indoor arena located at the Florida State Fairgrounds in Tampa, Florida. It's used primarily as an exhibition hall during the Florida State Fair, but has also hosted concerts and sporting events....
at the Florida State Fairgrounds. They shocked the visiting Chicago Blackhawks
Chicago Blackhawks
The Chicago Blackhawks are a professional ice hockey team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . They have won four Stanley Cup championships since their founding in 1926, most recently coming in 2009-10...
7-3 with four goals by little-known Chris Kontos
Chris Kontos
Christopher T. Kontos is a former National Hockey League forward who is best known for his surprising 9 goals in 11 playoff games while he was a member of the Los Angeles Kings and his shocking franchise opening night 4 goal performance against that season's Vezina Trophy winner Ed Belfour.During...
, a scoring mark unmatched by any Lightning player. The Lightning shot to the top of the Campbell Conference
Western Conference (NHL)
The Western Conference is one of two conferences in the National Hockey League used to divide teams. Its counterpart is the Eastern Conference....
's Norris Division
Norris Division
The NHL's Norris Division was formed in 1974 as part of the Prince of Wales Conference. The division moved to the Clarence Campbell Conference in 1981, with the Detroit Red Wings being the only member to remain from the previous season. The division existed for 19 seasons until 1993. The...
within a month, behind Kontos' initial torrid scoring pace and a breakout season by forward Brian Bradley
Brian Bradley
Brian Richard Walter Bradley is a former professional ice hockey player. Bradley played for a number of different hockey teams in many different leagues. He played for the London Knights in the early 1980s before being selected 51st overall, in the 3rd round, by the Calgary Flames at the 1983 NHL...
. However, they buckled under the strain of some of the longest road trips in the league—their nearest division rival, the Blues, were over 1,000 miles away—and finished in last place. Their 53 points in 1992-93, however, was one of the best showings ever by an NHL expansion team. Bradley's 42 goals gave Tampa Bay fans optimism for the next season; it would be a team record until the 2006–07 season when Vincent Lecavalier
Vincent Lecavalier
Vincent Lecavalier is a Canadian professional hockey center and captain of the Tampa Bay Lightning of the National Hockey League .-Rimouski Océanic:...
passed it with a career high 52 goals.
As part of the Norris Division, Tampa Bay had rivalries with teams in Chicago
Chicago Blackhawks
The Chicago Blackhawks are a professional ice hockey team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . They have won four Stanley Cup championships since their founding in 1926, most recently coming in 2009-10...
, Detroit
Detroit Red Wings
The Detroit Red Wings are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League , and are one of the Original Six teams of the NHL, along with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, New York...
, and Minnesota
Minnesota North Stars
The Minnesota North Stars were a professional ice hockey team in the National Hockey League for 26 seasons, from 1967 to 1993. The North Stars played their home games at the Met Center in Bloomington, and the team's colors for most of its history were green, yellow, gold and white...
, similar to how the Buccaneers
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football franchise based in Tampa, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the Southern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League – they are the only team in the division not to come from the old NFC West...
were in the same division
NFC North
The NFC North is a division of the National Football League's National Football Conference, based in the Upper Midwest region of the United States...
as the Bears
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
, Lions
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and...
, and Vikings
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960...
.
The following season saw the Lightning shift to the Eastern Conference
Eastern Conference (NHL)
The Eastern Conference is one of two conferences in the National Hockey League used to divide teams. Its counterpart is the Western Conference....
's Atlantic Division
Atlantic Division (NHL)
The NHL's Atlantic Division was formed in 1993 as part of the Eastern Conference in a league realignment, the predecessor of which was the Patrick Division. It is the only division in the NHL where all of its current members have won the Stanley Cup at least twice, though only three teams have won...
, as well as move into the Florida Suncoast Dome
Tropicana Field
Tropicana Field is a domed stadium in St. Petersburg, Florida, which has been the home of Major League Baseball's Tampa Bay Rays since the team's inaugural season in 1998, when they were the Devil Rays. It has also served as the host stadium for the Beef 'O' Brady's Bowl, an NCAA-sanctioned college...
(a building originally designed for baseball) in St. Petersburg, which was reconfigured for hockey and renamed "the Thunderdome". The team picked up goaltender
Goaltender
In ice hockey, the goaltender is the player who defends his team's goal net by stopping shots of the puck from entering his team's net, thus preventing the opposing team from scoring...
Daren Puppa
Daren Puppa
Daren James Puppa was born in Kirkland Lake, Ontario, Canada and is a former professional ice hockey goaltender in the NHL...
, left-wing
Winger (ice hockey)
Winger, in the game of hockey, is a forward position of a player whose primary zone of play on the ice is along the outer playing area. They typically work by flanking the centre forward. Originally the name was given to forward players who went up and down the sides of the rink...
goal scorer Petr Klima
Petr Klima
Petr Klíma is a Czech former professional ice hockey forward. He played in the National Hockey League for the Detroit Red Wings, Edmonton Oilers, Tampa Bay Lightning, Los Angeles Kings, and the Pittsburgh Penguins...
and aging sniper Denis Savard
Denis Savard
Denis Joseph Savard is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player. He played in the National Hockey League from 1980 to 1997, and was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2000...
. While Puppa's play resulted in a significant improvement in goals allowed (from 332 to 251), Savard was long past his prime and Klima's scoring was offset by his defensive lapses. The Lightning finished last in the Atlantic Division. Another disappointing season followed in the lockout-shortened 1995 season. Still, the Lightning appeared to be far ahead of their expansion brethren, the Ottawa Senators
Ottawa Senators
The Ottawa Senators are a professional ice hockey team based in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
. In marked contrast to the Lightning, the Senators showed almost no sign of respectability in their first four seasons.
From great success to utter failure
In their fourth season, 1995–96, with Bradley still leading the team in scoring, second-year forward Alexander SelivanovAlexander Selivanov
Alexander Yurievich Selivanov is a professional ice hockey left winger who has played in the NHL and also in various European leagues.-Playing career:...
scoring a total of 31 goals, and Roman Hamrlik
Roman Hamrlík
Roman Hamrlík is a Czech professional ice hockey defenceman currently playing for the Washington Capitals of the National Hockey League .- Playing career :...
(the team's first-ever draft choice in 1992
1992 NHL Entry Draft
The 1992 NHL Entry Draft was held on June 20 at the Montreal Forum in Montreal, Quebec. A total of 264 players were drafted.-Selections by round:Club teams are located in North America unless otherwise noted.-Round one:-Round two:-Round three:...
) having an All-Star year on defense, the Lightning finally qualified for the playoffs, nosing out the defending Stanley Cup
Stanley Cup
The Stanley Cup is an ice hockey club trophy, awarded annually to the National Hockey League playoffs champion after the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Finals. It has been referred to as The Cup, Lord Stanley's Cup, The Holy Grail, or facetiously as Lord Stanley's Mug...
champion New Jersey Devils
New Jersey Devils
The New Jersey Devils are a professional ice hockey team based in Newark, New Jersey, United States. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
for the eighth spot in the Eastern Conference by a single game. Due to his stellar play in net, Puppa was named a finalist for the Vezina Trophy
Vezina Trophy
The Vezina Trophy is awarded annually to the National Hockey League's goaltender who is "adjudged to be the best at this position". At the end of each season, the 30 General Managers of the teams in the National Hockey League vote to determine the goaltender who was the most valuable to his team...
(losing out to Jim Carey of Washington
Washington Capitals
The Washington Capitals are a professional ice hockey team based in Washington, D.C. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Since their founding in 1974, "The Caps" have won one conference championship to reach the 1998 Stanley Cup...
). Although they lost their first-round series in six games to the Philadelphia Flyers
Philadelphia Flyers
The Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
, it still remains a magical season for Lightning fans. The Thunderdome crowd of 28,183 for the April 23 playoff game against the Flyers was the largest crowd for any NHL game, a record that stood until the 2003 Heritage Classic in Edmonton
Edmonton
Edmonton is the capital of the Canadian province of Alberta and is the province's second-largest city. Edmonton is located on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Capital Region, which is surrounded by the central region of the province.The city and its census...
.
The Lightning picked up sniper Dino Ciccarelli
Dino Ciccarelli
.Dino Ciccarelli is a Canadian former professional hockey player who played 19 seasons in the National Hockey League, primarily with the Minnesota North Stars. He scored 1,200 points in his NHL career. His 608 career NHL goals are also the most goals scored by a draft-eligible player who was not...
from the Detroit Red Wings
Detroit Red Wings
The Detroit Red Wings are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League , and are one of the Original Six teams of the NHL, along with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, New York...
during the 1996 off-season, and he did not disappoint, scoring 35 goals in the 1996–97 season, with Chris Gratton
Chris Gratton
Christopher A. Gratton is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player who last played with the Columbus Blue Jackets of the National Hockey League...
notching another 30. The team moved into a glittering new arena, the Ice Palace (now the St. Pete Times Forum
St. Pete Times Forum
The St. Pete Times Forum is an arena in Tampa, Florida, that has been used for ice hockey, basketball, and arena football games, as well as concerts....
) and appeared destined for another playoff spot. However, the Lightning suffered a devastating rash of injuries. Puppa developed back trouble that kept him out of all but four games during the season; he would only play a total of 50 games from 1996 until his retirement in 2000. Bradley also lost time to a series of injuries that would limit him to a total of 49 games from 1996 until his retirement in December 1999. Center
Centre (ice hockey)
The centre in ice hockey is a forward position of a player whose primary zone of play is the middle of the ice, away from the side boards. Centres have more flexibility in their positioning and are expected to cover more ice surface than any other player...
John Cullen
John Cullen
John Cullen is a Canadian former professional ice hockey centre who played in the National Hockey League for the Pittsburgh Penguins, Hartford Whalers, Toronto Maple Leafs and Tampa Bay Lightning. He was a standout player for Boston University and is the school's all-time leading scorer...
developed non-Hodgkin lymphoma
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma
The non-Hodgkin lymphomas are a diverse group of blood cancers that include any kind of lymphoma except Hodgkin's lymphomas. Types of NHL vary significantly in their severity, from indolent to very aggressive....
, and missed the last 12 games of the 1996–97 season; he would eventually be forced to retire in 1999. Decimated by these ailments, the Lightning narrowly missed the playoffs. It would be seven years before the Lightning would even come close to the playoffs again.
Most of the Lightning's early stars were gone by 1998 due to free agency and trades by Phil Esposito which backfired. Crisp was fired eleven games into the 1997–98 season and replaced by Jacques Demers. Though Demers had presided over the resurgence of the Detroit Red Wings
Detroit Red Wings
The Detroit Red Wings are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League , and are one of the Original Six teams of the NHL, along with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, New York...
in the 1980s and helmed a Stanley Cup run in Montreal
Montreal Canadiens
The Montreal Canadiens are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is officially known as ...
in 1993, he was unable to change the team's fortunes, and the Lightning ended up losing 55 games.
By all accounts, the Lightning's plunge to the bottom of the NHL was due to the way Kokusai Green ran the team. Rumors abounded as early as the team's second season that the Lightning were on the brink of bankruptcy
Bankruptcy
Bankruptcy is a legal status of an insolvent person or an organisation, that is, one that cannot repay the debts owed to creditors. In most jurisdictions bankruptcy is imposed by a court order, often initiated by the debtor....
and that the team was part of a money laundering
Money laundering
Money laundering is the process of disguising illegal sources of money so that it looks like it came from legal sources. The methods by which money may be laundered are varied and can range in sophistication. Many regulatory and governmental authorities quote estimates each year for the amount...
scheme for the yakuza
Yakuza
, also known as , are members of traditional organized crime syndicates in Japan. The Japanese police, and media by request of the police, call them bōryokudan , literally "violence group", while the yakuza call themselves "ninkyō dantai" , "chivalrous organizations". The yakuza are notoriously...
(Japanese crime families). Its scouting operation consisted of Tony Esposito and several satellite dishes. The Internal Revenue Service
Internal Revenue Service
The Internal Revenue Service is the revenue service of the United States federal government. The agency is a bureau of the Department of the Treasury, and is under the immediate direction of the Commissioner of Internal Revenue...
investigated the team in 1994 and 1995, and nearly slapped a lien on the team for $750,000 in back taxes. The situation led longtime NHL broadcaster and writer Stan Fischler
Stan Fischler
Stan Fischler is a hockey and New York City Subway historian, broadcaster, author and professor.For his hockey knowledge, Fischler promotes himself as “The Hockey Maven” in both local and national circles...
to call the Lightning a "skating vaudeville show".
Even in their first playoff season, the team was awash in red ink and Kokusai Green was looking to sell at any price. However, the sale was hampered by the team's murky ownership structure; even some team officials (including Crisp) didn't know who really owned the team. Another problem was that Kokusai Green initially demanded $230 million for the team, including the lease with the Ice Palace.
It later emerged that Kokusai Green's owner, Takashi Okubo, had never met with Esposito or with NHL officials in person prior to being awarded the Lightning. During his seven years as owner, Okubo never watched his team play, and never even visited Tampa. Esposito never met him personally in his hunt for investors, for instance. Nearly all of Kokusai Green's investment in the team and the Ice Palace came in the form of loans, leaving the team constantly short of cash. At least prospective buyer pulled out after expressing doubts that Okubo even existed. In fact, the first time anyone connected with the Lightning or the NHL even saw Okubo was in the spring of 1998. Many of Esposito's trades came simply to keep the team above water. The team's financial situation was a considerable concern to NHL officials; rumors surfaced that the league was seriously considering taking control of the team if Okubo failed to find a buyer by the summer of 1998.
Forbes
Forbes
Forbes is an American publishing and media company. Its flagship publication, the Forbes magazine, is published biweekly. Its primary competitors in the national business magazine category are Fortune, which is also published biweekly, and Business Week...
wrote an article in late 1997 calling the Lightning a financial nightmare, with a debt equal to a staggering 236% of its value—the highest of any major North American sports franchise. Even though the Ice Palace was built for hockey and the Lightning were the only major tenant, Forbes called the team's deal with the arena a lemon since it would not result in much revenue for 30 years. It was also behind on paying state sales taxes and federal payroll taxes.http://www.sptimes.com/Lightning/lh.1203.finances.html
Finally, in 1998, Kokusai Green found a buyer. Although Detroit Pistons
Detroit Pistons
The Detroit Pistons are a franchise of the National Basketball Association based in Auburn Hills, Michigan. The team's home arena is The Palace of Auburn Hills. It was originally founded in Fort Wayne, Indiana as the Fort Wayne Pistons as a member of the National Basketball League in 1941, where...
owner William Davidson
William Davidson
William Morse "Bill" Davidson, J. D. was an American businessman who was President, Chairman and CEO of Guardian Industries, one of the world's largest manufacturers of architectural and automotive glass...
was thought to be the frontrunner, the buyer turned out to be insurance
Insurance
In law and economics, insurance is a form of risk management primarily used to hedge against the risk of a contingent, uncertain loss. Insurance is defined as the equitable transfer of the risk of a loss, from one entity to another, in exchange for payment. An insurer is a company selling the...
tycoon and motivational speaker Art Williams
Arthur L. Williams, Jr.
Arthur L. "Art" Williams, Jr. is a billionaire insurance executive living in Palm Beach, Florida. He is the founder of A.L. Williams & Associates, known as Primerica Financial Services since 1991.-Early life and education:...
. Williams walked into a difficult financial situation; the team was $102 million in debt at the time the sale closed. Like the Japanese, Williams knew very little about hockey. However, he was very visible and outspoken, and immediately pumped an additional $6 million into the team's payroll to turn it around. He also cleared most of the massive debt left over from the Kokusai Green era. After taking control, Williams publicly assured the Espositos that their jobs were safe, only to fire them two games into the 1998–99 season. He then gave Demers complete control of hockey operations as both coach and general manager. Despite the clouds still hovering over the franchise, the Lightning drafted Vincent Lecavalier
Vincent Lecavalier
Vincent Lecavalier is a Canadian professional hockey center and captain of the Tampa Bay Lightning of the National Hockey League .-Rimouski Océanic:...
in 1998, a player who would be a cornerstone of the team for years to come.
Williams was widely seen as being in over his head and was an easy target for his NHL colleagues, who called him "Jed Clampett
The Beverly Hillbillies
The Beverly Hillbillies is an American situation comedy originally broadcast for nine seasons on CBS from 1962 to 1971, starring Buddy Ebsen, Irene Ryan, Donna Douglas, and Max Baer, Jr....
" behind his back because of his thick Southern accent and fundamentalist Christian views. Early in the 1998–99 season, the Lightning lost 10 games in a row, all but ending any chance of making the playoffs. They ended up losing 54 games that year—more than the expansion Nashville Predators
Nashville Predators
The Nashville Predators are a professional ice hockey team based in Nashville, Tennessee. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
. Although some blame Williams for the slide, it can be argued that the damage from the Kokusai Green era was too much for Williams to overcome.
Return to respectability
By the spring of 1999, Williams had seen enough. He had not attended a game in some time because "this team broke my heart". He lost $20 million in the 1998–99 season alone—as much money in one year as he'd estimated he could have reasonably lost in five years.http://www.lcshockey.com/issues/115/tam.asp
Williams sold the team for $115 million—$2 million less than he had paid for the team a year earlier—to Davidson, who had almost bought the team a year earlier. Along with the sale, the Lightning picked up a new top minor league affiliate; Davidson also owned the Detroit Vipers
Detroit Vipers
The Detroit Vipers was an International Hockey League team. The team was founded in 1994, and played at The Palace of Auburn Hills.-Beginning:...
of the now-defunct International Hockey League.
Davidson remained in Detroit, but appointed Tom Wilson as team president to handle day-to-day management of the team. Wilson immediately fired Demers, who despite his best efforts (and fatherly attitude toward Lecavalier) was unable to overcome the damage from the Kokusai Green ownership. Wilson persuaded Ottawa Senators
Ottawa Senators
The Ottawa Senators are a professional ice hockey team based in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
general manager Rick Dudley
Rick Dudley
Richard Clarence Dudley is a Canadian professional ice hockey executive and former player. Dudley was previously the general manager of several hockey teams. Dudley played in the World Hockey Association and in the National Hockey League. Dudley has also served as a head coach in the National...
to take over as the Lightning's new general manager; Dudley in turn brought Vipers coach Steve Ludzik
Steve Ludzik
Stephen Paul Ludzik is a retired former professional ice hockey player and coach who currently works as a television analyst for The Score....
in as the team's new head coach. Wilson, Dudley, and Ludzik had helped make the Vipers one of the premier minor league hockey franchises, having won a Turner Cup
Turner Cup
The Turner Cup is the championship trophy of the International Hockey League. The Cup is named for Joe Turner, a goaltender from Windsor, Ontario. Turner became professional with the Detroit Red Wings organization, and played one season with the Indianapolis Capitals in the American Hockey League...
in only their third season in Detroit (the team had originally been based in Salt Lake City
Salt Lake Golden Eagles
The Salt Lake Golden Eagles were a minor professional hockey team based in Salt Lake City, Utah from 1969 to 1994.They played in the Western Hockey League from 1969 to 1974, the Central Hockey League from 1974 to 1984 and the International Hockey League from 1984 to 1994...
).
However, as had been the case with Demers, the damage from the last few seasons under Kokusai Green was too much for Ludzik to overcome. Even with a wholesale transfer of talent from Detroit to Tampa (a move that eventually doomed the Vipers, which folded along with the IHL in 2001), the Lightning lost 54 games in 1999–2000 and 52 in 2000–01, becoming the first team in NHL history to post four straight 50-loss seasons. The lone bright spots in those years were the blossoming of Lecavalier and Brad Richards
Brad Richards
Bradley Glenn Richards is a Canadian professional ice hockey centre and alternate captain for the New York Rangers of the National Hockey League .-Early career:Born and raised in Murray Harbour, Prince Edward Island...
into NHL stars. Ludzik was replaced in early 2001 by career NHL assistant John Tortorella
John Tortorella
Jonathan "John" Tortorella is an American professional ice hockey coach and is now the head coach of the New York Rangers of the National Hockey League . He is perhaps best known for his tenure as head coach of the Tampa Bay Lightning when he led the team to the 2004 Stanley Cup championship...
.
The 2001–02 season, Tortorella's first full year behind the bench, saw some improvement. While finishing far out of playoff contention, the Lightning at least showed some signs of life, earning more than 60 points for the first time since 1997. Tortorella stripped Lecavalier of the captaincy due to contract negotiations that had made the young center miss the start of the season.
Two dream seasons — and the Stanley Cup
With a young core of players led by Lecavalier, Richards, Martin St. LouisMartin St. Louis
Martin St. Louis is a Canadian professional ice hockey right winger and alternate captain currently playing for the Tampa Bay Lightning of the National Hockey League .-Playing career:...
, and Fredrik Modin
Fredrik Modin
Fredrik "Freddy" Modin is a Swedish former professional ice hockey left winger, who played 14 seasons in the National Hockey League and most notably won the Stanley Cup with the Tampa Bay Lightning in the 2003–04 season....
, the Lightning were thought to be very close to respectability. However, they arrived somewhat earlier than expected in 2002–03. The young team was led by the goaltending of Nikolai Khabibulin
Nikolai Khabibulin
Nikolai Ivanovich Khabibulin is a Russian professional ice hockey goaltender currently playing for the Edmonton Oilers of the National Hockey League...
and the scoring efforts of Lecavalier, St. Louis, Modin, Richards, and Ruslan Fedotenko
Ruslan Fedotenko
Ruslan Viktorovych Fedotenko is a Ukrainian American professional ice hockey winger who is currently playing for the New York Rangers of the National Hockey League . A two-time Stanley Cup champion, in his NHL career he has played for the Philadelphia Flyers, Tampa Bay Lightning, New York...
, and also boasted a new captain, former prolific scorer Dave Andreychuk
Dave Andreychuk
David John Andreychuk is a former professional ice hockey left winger who played in the NHL with the Buffalo Sabres, Toronto Maple Leafs, New Jersey Devils, Boston Bruins, Colorado Avalanche and Tampa Bay Lightning...
. Throughout the season, the Lightning battled the Washington Capitals
Washington Capitals
The Washington Capitals are a professional ice hockey team based in Washington, D.C. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Since their founding in 1974, "The Caps" have won one conference championship to reach the 1998 Stanley Cup...
for first place in the Southeast Division. They finished with 93 points, breaking the 90-point barrier for the first time in team history. They won the division by just one point, giving them home-ice advantage in their first round match-up with the Caps. At season's end, Coach Tortorella was recognized for his efforts by being named a finalist for the Jack Adams Award
Jack Adams Award
The Jack Adams Award is awarded annually to the National Hockey League coach "adjudged to have contributed the most to his team's success." It has been awarded 37 times to 32 different coaches. The winner is selected by a poll of the National Hockey League Broadcasters Association at the end of the...
, loosing out to Jacques Lemaire
Jacques Lemaire
Jacques Gerard Lemaire is a former ice hockey forward for the Montreal Canadiens and a long-time coach, most notably with the New Jersey Devils and the Minnesota Wild.-Playing career:...
of Minnesota
Minnesota Wild
The Minnesota Wild are a professional ice hockey team based in St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League ....
.
In the playoffs the Lightning quickly fell two games behind in the series but followed the two losses with four consecutive wins which advanced them to the Conference Semifinals for the first time in team history. In the semifinals the Lightning won only one game, losing the series to the New Jersey Devils
New Jersey Devils
The New Jersey Devils are a professional ice hockey team based in Newark, New Jersey, United States. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
. The Devils went on to win the Stanley Cup, but the Lightning's return to the post-season pleased the long-suffering hockey fans of the Tampa Bay area.
The Lightning roared through the 2003–04 regular season, finishing with 106 points, second-best in the league after the Western Conference's Detroit Red Wings
Detroit Red Wings
The Detroit Red Wings are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League , and are one of the Original Six teams of the NHL, along with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, New York...
—the first 100-point season in franchise history. The Lightning went through the season with only 20 man-games lost to injury. In the first round of the playoffs, the Lightning ousted the Alexei Yashin
Alexei Yashin
Alexei Valeryevich Yashin is a Russian professional ice hockey player. He is currently a member of CSKA Moscow of the Kontinental Hockey League...
-led New York Islanders
New York Islanders
The New York Islanders are a professional ice hockey team based in Uniondale, New York. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
in five games, with solid play from goaltender Nikolai Khabibulin
Nikolai Khabibulin
Nikolai Ivanovich Khabibulin is a Russian professional ice hockey goaltender currently playing for the Edmonton Oilers of the National Hockey League...
, who posted 3 shutouts in games 1, 3, and 4.
In the second round, the Lightning faced the Montreal Canadiens
Montreal Canadiens
The Montreal Canadiens are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is officially known as ...
, captained by Saku Koivu
Saku Koivu
Saku Antero Koivu is a Finnish professional ice hockey player and an alternate captain of the Anaheim Ducks of the National Hockey League . He began his NHL career with the Montreal Canadiens in 1995–96 after three seasons with TPS of the Finnish SM-liiga...
; Lecavalier, Richards, and Khabibulin led the team to a four-game sweep of Montreal. They next faced Keith Primeau
Keith Primeau
Keith Primeau is a Canadian former professional ice hockey centre who played 15 seasons in the National Hockey League with the Detroit Red Wings, Hartford Whalers, Carolina Hurricanes and Philadelphia Flyers...
and his Philadelphia Flyers
Philadelphia Flyers
The Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
in the Conference Finals. After a tightly-fought seven-game series in which neither team was able to win consecutive games, Fredrik Modin
Fredrik Modin
Fredrik "Freddy" Modin is a Swedish former professional ice hockey left winger, who played 14 seasons in the National Hockey League and most notably won the Stanley Cup with the Tampa Bay Lightning in the 2003–04 season....
notched the winning goal of the seventh and deciding game, earning the Eastern Conference Championship for the Lightning and their first-ever berth in the Stanley Cup
Stanley Cup
The Stanley Cup is an ice hockey club trophy, awarded annually to the National Hockey League playoffs champion after the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Finals. It has been referred to as The Cup, Lord Stanley's Cup, The Holy Grail, or facetiously as Lord Stanley's Mug...
Finals.
Their opponent in the final round was the Calgary Flames
Calgary Flames
The Calgary Flames are a professional ice hockey team based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is the third major-professional ice hockey team to represent the city of Calgary, following the...
, captained by Jarome Iginla
Jarome Iginla
Jarome Arthur-Leigh Adekunle Tig Junior Elvis Iginla is a Canadian professional ice hockey player for the Calgary Flames of the National Hockey League . A six-time NHL All-Star, he is the Flames' all-time leader in goals, points, and games played, and is second in assists to Al MacInnis...
. The final round also went the full seven games, with the deciding game played in the St. Pete Times Forum on June 7, 2004. This time, Ruslan Fedotenko
Ruslan Fedotenko
Ruslan Viktorovych Fedotenko is a Ukrainian American professional ice hockey winger who is currently playing for the New York Rangers of the National Hockey League . A two-time Stanley Cup champion, in his NHL career he has played for the Philadelphia Flyers, Tampa Bay Lightning, New York...
was the Game 7 hero, scoring both Lightning goals in a 2-1 victory. Brad Richards
Brad Richards
Bradley Glenn Richards is a Canadian professional ice hockey centre and alternate captain for the New York Rangers of the National Hockey League .-Early career:Born and raised in Murray Harbour, Prince Edward Island...
, who had 26 points, won the Conn Smythe Trophy
Conn Smythe Trophy
The Conn Smythe Trophy is awarded annually to the player judged most valuable to his team during the National Hockey League's Stanley Cup playoffs. The Conn Smythe Trophy has been awarded 46 times to 40 players since the 1964–65 NHL season...
as the most valuable player of the Stanley Cup playoffs; the Lightning had won all 31 contests in which he had scored a goal since the opening of the season. Tortorella won the Jack Adams Award
Jack Adams Award
The Jack Adams Award is awarded annually to the National Hockey League coach "adjudged to have contributed the most to his team's success." It has been awarded 37 times to 32 different coaches. The winner is selected by a poll of the National Hockey League Broadcasters Association at the end of the...
as the NHL's Coach of the Year. Only three years after losing 50 games, the Lightning became the southernmost team ever to win the Stanley Cup, in only their 12th year of existence. Martin St. Louis
Martin St. Louis
Martin St. Louis is a Canadian professional ice hockey right winger and alternate captain currently playing for the Tampa Bay Lightning of the National Hockey League .-Playing career:...
led the team and the NHL with 94 points (his 38 goals were fourth-most after the 41 of tied trio Iginla, Rick Nash
Rick Nash
Rick Nash is a Canadian professional ice hockey right winger and captain of the Columbus Blue Jackets of the National Hockey League ....
, and Ilya Kovalchuk
Ilya Kovalchuk
Ilya Valerevich Kovalchuk is a Russian professional ice hockey left winger who is an alternate captain of the New Jersey Devils of the National Hockey League. Drafted first overall in the 2001 NHL Entry Draft by the Atlanta Thrashers, he began his NHL career in 2001–02 with Atlanta and was...
), and won the Hart Memorial Trophy
Hart Memorial Trophy
The Hart Memorial Trophy, originally known as the Hart Trophy, the "oldest and most prestigious individual award in hockey", is awarded annually to the "player adjudged most valuable to his team" in the National Hockey League . The Hart Memorial Trophy has been awarded 86 times to 53 different...
as the league's most valuable player. St. Louis also won the Lester B. Pearson Award
Lester B. Pearson Award
The Ted Lindsay Award, formerly known as the Lester B. Pearson Award, is awarded annually to the National Hockey League's most outstanding player in the regular season as judged by the members of the NHL Players Association. It has been awarded 40 times to 23 different players since its beginnings...
for league's most outstanding player as voted by the NHL Players' Association, and tied the Vancouver Canucks
Vancouver Canucks
The Vancouver Canucks are a professional ice hockey team based in Vancouver, :British Columbia, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The Canucks play their home games at Rogers Arena, formerly known as General Motors Place,...
' Marek Malik
Marek Malik
Marek Malík is a Czech professional ice hockey defenceman who is currently playing for HC Vítkovice Steel of the Czech Extraliga. Malík played in the National Hockey League from 1998 to 2009. He is best known for a highlight reel shootout goal while with the New York Rangers.-Playing career:After...
for the NHL Plus/Minus Award
NHL Plus/Minus Award
The NHL Plus-Minus Award is a trophy awarded annually by the National Hockey League to the ice hockey "player, having played a minimum of 60 games who leads the league in plus/minus statistics." It is sponsored by a commercial business, and it has been known under five different names...
. A season of superlatives was capped with one final accolade, as The Sporting News
The Sporting News
Sporting News is an American-based sports magazine. It was established in 1886, and it became the dominant American publication covering baseball — so much so that it acquired the nickname "The Bible of Baseball"...
named GM Jay Feaster as the league's executive of the year for 2003-4.
The Lightning had to wait a year to defend their title due to the 2004–05 NHL lockout, but in 2005–06 they barely made the playoffs with 93 points in a conference where six teams notched 100 or more points. They lost to the Ottawa Senators
Ottawa Senators
The Ottawa Senators are a professional ice hockey team based in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
in five games in the first round.
2006–07 season: Another short postseason
During the offseason, the Lightning traded Fredrik ModinFredrik Modin
Fredrik "Freddy" Modin is a Swedish former professional ice hockey left winger, who played 14 seasons in the National Hockey League and most notably won the Stanley Cup with the Tampa Bay Lightning in the 2003–04 season....
and Fredrik Norrena
Fredrik Norrena
Fredrik Jan Elis Norrena is a Finnish professional ice hockey goaltender currently playing for Linköping of the Swedish Elitserien.- Playing career :...
, to the Columbus Blue Jackets
Columbus Blue Jackets
The Columbus Blue Jackets are a professional ice hockey team based in Columbus, Ohio, United States. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
for goaltender Marc Denis
Marc Denis
Marc Denis is a former Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender, who last played with the Montreal Canadiens of the National Hockey League . For the 2009–10 season, he has been hired as the goaltenders' coach of the Chicoutimi Sagueneens, a Quebec Major Junior Hockey League team...
, to replace John Grahame
John Grahame
John Gillies Mark Grahame is currently the goaltender coach for the Sioux City Musketeers of the USHL and is a former professional ice hockey goaltender who played most recently for the Lake Erie Monsters of the American Hockey League.-Playing career:Grahame played in the USHL for the Sioux City...
, who had served as the Lightning's goaltender throughout most of the 2005–06 season, as he left the team, and signed with the Carolina Hurricanes
Carolina Hurricanes
The Carolina Hurricanes are a professional ice hockey team based in Raleigh, North Carolina, USA. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League , and play their home games at the 18,680-seat RBC Center...
. Free agent Johan Holmqvist
Johan Holmqvist
Johan Erik Daniel Holmqvist is a Swedish professional ice hockey goaltender, currently playing for Brynäs IF in Elitserien.-Career:...
would eventually get the majority of playing time, and most of the club's wins. The first half of the 2006-07 NHL Season
2006-07 NHL season
In each round, the highest remaining seed in each conference is matched against the lowest remaining seed. The higher-seeded team is awarded home ice advantage, which gives them a maximum possible four games on their home ice, with the other team getting a maximum possible three...
was rocky for the Lightning, maintaining an 18-19-2 record throughout the first few months. January and February were far better months for the team, going 9-4-0 in January, and 9-2-2 in February, getting them back into the thick of things in the playoff race. 14 games in March were split even, and on March 16, 2007, Vincent Lecavalier
Vincent Lecavalier
Vincent Lecavalier is a Canadian professional hockey center and captain of the Tampa Bay Lightning of the National Hockey League .-Rimouski Océanic:...
broke the franchise record for most points in a season, with 95 (finishing with 108). The record was previously held by Martin St. Louis
Martin St. Louis
Martin St. Louis is a Canadian professional ice hockey right winger and alternate captain currently playing for the Tampa Bay Lightning of the National Hockey League .-Playing career:...
, who had set the record in the 2003–04 Stanley Cup Championship year. Lecavalier also broke the franchise's goal scoring record, finishing with a league-leading 52 goals.
The Lightning were busy during the final weeks before the NHL Trade Deadline, acquiring wingers Kyle Wanvig
Kyle Wanvig
Kyle Wanvig is a Canadian ice hockey right winger who plays for Augsburger Panther.- Career :Wanvig was originally drafted 89th overall by the Boston Bruins in the 1999 NHL Entry Draft, but he re-entered the draft and was selected 36th overall by the Minnesota Wild in the 2001 NHL Entry Draft...
, Stephen Baby
Stephen Baby
Stephen Baby is an American former professional ice hockey winger. He played in the AHL with the Chicago Wolves and Springfield Falcons.-Playing career:...
, and defensemen Shane O'Brien. Former first round pick Nikita Alexeev
Nikita Alexeev
Nikita Sergeyevich Alexeev is a Russian professional ice hockey forward currently playing for Ak Bars Kazan of the Kontinental Hockey League . He most recently played in the National Hockey League for the Chicago Blackhawks.- Playing career :...
was traded on the day of the deadline to the Chicago Blackhawks
Chicago Blackhawks
The Chicago Blackhawks are a professional ice hockey team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . They have won four Stanley Cup championships since their founding in 1926, most recently coming in 2009-10...
. Other new additions for the team during the season were Filip Kuba
Filip Kuba
Filip Kuba is a Czech professional ice hockey defenceman currently playing for the Ottawa Senators of the National Hockey League...
, Luke Richardson
Luke Richardson
Luke Glen Richardson is a Canadian professional ice hockey coach and former professional ice hockey player. Richardson played for 21 seasons in the National Hockey League...
, and Doug Janik
Doug Janik
Douglas J. Janik is a professional ice hockey defenseman who is currently a member of the National Hockey League's Detroit Red Wings organization.-Playing career:...
. Veteran Andre Roy
André Roy
André Roy is an American-born Canadian professional ice hockey player. A veteran of the National Hockey League , Roy is currently an unrestricted free agent.-Playing career:...
, who had won the Stanley Cup
Stanley Cup
The Stanley Cup is an ice hockey club trophy, awarded annually to the National Hockey League playoffs champion after the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Finals. It has been referred to as The Cup, Lord Stanley's Cup, The Holy Grail, or facetiously as Lord Stanley's Mug...
with the Lightning in 2004, was claimed off waivers from the Pittsburgh Penguins
Pittsburgh Penguins
The Pittsburgh Penguins are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The franchise was founded in 1967 as one of the first expansion teams during the league's original...
.
Throughout March, the Lightning had been switching places with the Atlanta Thrashers
Atlanta Thrashers
The Atlanta Thrashers were a professional ice hockey team based in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. Atlanta was granted a franchise in the National Hockey League on June 25, 1997, and became the league's 28th franchise when it began play in the 1999–2000 NHL season...
for first place in the Southeast Division. With a chance to overtake the Thrashers one final time and once again become division champions for the third time in team history, on April 6, 2007, in the final week of the regular season, the Lighting suffered a loss to the Florida Panthers
Florida Panthers
The Florida Panthers are a professional ice hockey team based in Sunrise, Florida, in the Miami metropolitan area. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . They play their games at the BankAtlantic Center in Sunrise and are the...
, the night before the season finale in Atlanta. That same night, the Thrashers defeated the Carolina Hurricanes
Carolina Hurricanes
The Carolina Hurricanes are a professional ice hockey team based in Raleigh, North Carolina, USA. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League , and play their home games at the 18,680-seat RBC Center...
, and clinched the division. For the Lightning, this meant having to settle for the seventh seed in the Eastern Conference
Eastern Conference (NHL)
The Eastern Conference is one of two conferences in the National Hockey League used to divide teams. Its counterpart is the Western Conference....
, with a final record of 44-33-5 (93 points).
The Lightning were eliminated from playoff competition on April 22, after a 3-2 home loss to the New Jersey Devils in game six of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals.
Following their playoff exit, on August 7, 2007, Absolute Hockey Enterprises, a group led by Doug MacLean
Doug MacLean
Douglas MacLean, is a Canadian sportscaster and former ice hockey coach and general manager...
, announced it had signed a purchase agreement for the team and the leasehold on the St. Pete Times Forum
St. Pete Times Forum
The St. Pete Times Forum is an arena in Tampa, Florida, that has been used for ice hockey, basketball, and arena football games, as well as concerts....
. MacLean is the former president and general manager of the Columbus Blue Jackets
Columbus Blue Jackets
The Columbus Blue Jackets are a professional ice hockey team based in Columbus, Ohio, United States. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
and former head coach for both the Blue Jackets and the Florida Panthers
Florida Panthers
The Florida Panthers are a professional ice hockey team based in Sunrise, Florida, in the Miami metropolitan area. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . They play their games at the BankAtlantic Center in Sunrise and are the...
. The group announced that it planned to keep the team in Tampa, but the deal fell apart during the 2007-08 season.
2007–08 season: Dead last
At the start of the All-Star Break on January 25, the Lightning had a 20–25–5 record, and with 45 points, were in last place in both the Southeast Division, and the Eastern Conference. Only the Los Angeles Kings
Los Angeles Kings
The Los Angeles Kings are a professional ice hockey team based in Los Angeles, California. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
had a lower point total at this time of the season, with 40 points.
On February 13, 2008, it was announced that Palace Sports & Entertainment had agreed to sell the Lightning to OK Hockey LLC, a group headed by Oren Koules
Oren Koules
Oren Koules is an American entertainment industry and professional sports industry executive. He was president of Evolution Entertainment, producer of the Saw film series...
, a producer of the Saw horror movies.
The Lightning were active during the trade deadline, similar to the previous season. The more notable trades included Vaclav Prospal
Vaclav Prospal
Václav "Vinny" Prospal is a Czech professional ice hockey left winger who is currently a member of the Columbus Blue Jackets in the National Hockey League.-Playing career:...
being dealt to the Philadelphia Flyers
Philadelphia Flyers
The Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
for AHL
American Hockey League
The American Hockey League is a 30-team professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental circuit for the National Hockey League...
All-Star defenseman Alexandre Picard
Alexandre R. Picard
Alexandre R. Picard is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman who currently plays for the Pittsburgh Penguins organization.-Playing career:...
and a conditional draft pick. Former Conn Smythe Trophy
Conn Smythe Trophy
The Conn Smythe Trophy is awarded annually to the player judged most valuable to his team during the National Hockey League's Stanley Cup playoffs. The Conn Smythe Trophy has been awarded 46 times to 40 players since the 1964–65 NHL season...
winner, Brad Richards
Brad Richards
Bradley Glenn Richards is a Canadian professional ice hockey centre and alternate captain for the New York Rangers of the National Hockey League .-Early career:Born and raised in Murray Harbour, Prince Edward Island...
and goaltender Johan Holmqvist
Johan Holmqvist
Johan Erik Daniel Holmqvist is a Swedish professional ice hockey goaltender, currently playing for Brynäs IF in Elitserien.-Career:...
were sent to the Dallas Stars
Dallas Stars
The Dallas Stars are a professional ice hockey team based in Dallas, Texas. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The team was founded during the 1967 NHL expansion as the Minnesota North Stars, based in Bloomington, Minnesota. The...
, for goaltender Mike Smith, and forwards Jussi Jokinen
Jussi Jokinen
Jussi Jokinen is a Finnish professional ice hockey forward currently playing for the Carolina Hurricanes of the National Hockey League...
and Jeff Halpern
Jeff Halpern
Jeffrey C. Halpern is an American professional ice hockey player who is currently playing for the Washington Capitals.-Playing career:...
, as well as a fourth round pick in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft
2009 NHL Entry Draft
The 2009 NHL Entry Draft was the 47th Entry Draft. It was held on June 26–27, 2009 at the Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec. The Draft was part of the Montreal Canadiens centennial celebrations. National Hockey League teams took turns selecting amateur ice hockey players from junior, collegiate, or...
. One player with considerable ice time, Jan Hlavac
Jan Hlavac
Jan Hlaváč is a Czech professional ice hockey player currently playing for Linköpings HC of the Swedish Elitserien.- Playing career :...
, was traded to the Nashville Predators
Nashville Predators
The Nashville Predators are a professional ice hockey team based in Nashville, Tennessee. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
for a seventh round pick in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft
2008 NHL Entry Draft
The 2008 NHL Entry Draft was the 46th NHL Entry Draft. It was hosted by the Ottawa Senators at Scotiabank Place in the city of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, on June 20–21, 2008...
. Defenseman Dan Boyle, was re-signed to a 6-year contract extension, reportedly worth $40 million.
However, after the trade deadline, the Lightning fared no better than they had throughout the entire season. With the day of the deadline being February 26, the Lightning won only five games after that date. Finishing with a 31–42–9 record, with 71 points, they had the best chance at getting the top overall pick in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft
2008 NHL Entry Draft
The 2008 NHL Entry Draft was the 46th NHL Entry Draft. It was hosted by the Ottawa Senators at Scotiabank Place in the city of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, on June 20–21, 2008...
through the draft lottery, and was awarded the top overall pick by winning the draft lottery on April 7. They would use their first overall pick to select Steven Stamkos
Steven Stamkos
Steven Stamkos is a Canadian professional ice hockey player, an alternate captain for the Tampa Bay Lightning of the National Hockey League . Stamkos was the first overall pick in the 2006 OHL Entry Draft, from the Markham Waxers of the OMHA. Playing with the Sarnia Sting of the Ontario Hockey...
, who had been playing in the Ontario Hockey League
Ontario Hockey League
The Ontario Hockey League is one of the three Major Junior ice hockey leagues which constitute the Canadian Hockey League. The league is for players aged 15-20.The OHL also operates under the Ontario Hockey Federation of Hockey Canada....
prior to the draft.
The Lightning were the worst team on the road in the NHL, winning only 11 games. Another showing of the team's poor play, was the difference from the previous season's success in the overtime/shootout periods. In the 2006–07 season, the Lightning had one of the best extra period records, winning 15 games in either overtime or the shootout. In the 2007–08 season, they won only 3 games, losing 9.
Vincent Lecavalier
Vincent Lecavalier
Vincent Lecavalier is a Canadian professional hockey center and captain of the Tampa Bay Lightning of the National Hockey League .-Rimouski Océanic:...
suffered a dislocated shoulder as the result of an open-ice hit from Matt Cooke
Matt Cooke
Matthew David Cooke is a professional ice hockey player currently playing for the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League. His playing style has earned him a reputation of being a "pest" and he is known for his ability to aggravate opponents...
of the Washington Capitals
Washington Capitals
The Washington Capitals are a professional ice hockey team based in Washington, D.C. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Since their founding in 1974, "The Caps" have won one conference championship to reach the 1998 Stanley Cup...
, in the game before the season finale in Atlanta. Lecavalier, who planned on having arthroscopic wrist surgery after the season's ending, would undergo surgery to repair his right shoulder as well. Cooke was fined $2,500 by the NHL for the hit, because Lecavalier did not have possession of the puck at the time. Perhaps the lone bright spot in the season was Lecavalier's winning the King Clancy Memorial Trophy
King Clancy Memorial Trophy
The King Clancy Memorial Trophy is awarded annually to the National Hockey League player who best exemplifies leadership qualities on and off the ice and who has made a significant humanitarian contribution to his community. Since the award was established in 1988, no player has won it more than...
for work through his foundation, including a $3 million pledge to All Children's Hospital
All Children's Hospital
All Children's Hospital is a Pediatric hospital located in St. Petersburg, FloridaIt is the only freestanding children’s hospital on the state's Gulf coast. It has consistently ranked among America’s top 25 children’s hospitals in comparative studies done by Child Magazine, which rated All...
in St. Petersburg, Florida for what would become the Vincent Lecavalier Pediatric Cancer and Blood Disorders Center at All Children's Hospital.
John Tortorella
John Tortorella
Jonathan "John" Tortorella is an American professional ice hockey coach and is now the head coach of the New York Rangers of the National Hockey League . He is perhaps best known for his tenure as head coach of the Tampa Bay Lightning when he led the team to the 2004 Stanley Cup championship...
was fired by the Lightning following their worst season since Tortorella was hired. At the time working as an NHL analyst for ESPN, Barry Melrose
Barry Melrose
Barry James Melrose is a former player and head coach in the National Hockey League, as well as a current commentator and hockey analyst for ESPN.-Playing career:...
stated on June 4 during an episode of Pardon the Interruption
Pardon the Interruption
Pardon the Interruption is a sports television show that airs weekdays on various ESPN TV channels, TSN, ESPN America, XM, and Sirius satellite radio services, and as a downloadable podcast. It is hosted by Tony Kornheiser and Michael Wilbon, who discuss, and frequently argue over, the top stories...
that he missed coaching and would entertain any NHL coaching offers. He stated, "I miss not having a dog in the fight". On June 23, ESPN reported that Melrose had been chosen to be the head coach of the Tampa Bay Lightning, starting in the 2008-2009 NHL season. The next day, the Lightning officially introduced him as their new head coach.
As a harbinger of new ownership's sketchy hockey-IQ, on July 4, 2008, and despite coming off a recent contract extension, Boyle was traded along with Brad Lukowich
Brad Lukowich
Brad Lukowich is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman who plays for the Texas Stars of the American Hockey League. He has won the Stanley Cup once in his career, with the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2004. He was on the roster of the Dallas Stars when they won the cup in 1998–99 but did not...
to the San Jose Sharks
San Jose Sharks
The San Jose Sharks are a professional ice hockey team based in San Jose, California, United States. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
in exchange for Matt Carle
Matt Carle
Matthew Carle is an American professional ice hockey defenseman who plays for the Philadelphia Flyers of the National Hockey League .-Playing career:...
, Ty Wishart
Ty Wishart
Ty Wishart is an Canadian professional ice hockey player currently playing in the New York Islanders organization.-Playing career:...
, a first round draft pick in 2009
2009 NHL Entry Draft
The 2009 NHL Entry Draft was the 47th Entry Draft. It was held on June 26–27, 2009 at the Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec. The Draft was part of the Montreal Canadiens centennial celebrations. National Hockey League teams took turns selecting amateur ice hockey players from junior, collegiate, or...
and a fourth round draft pick in 2010
2010 NHL Entry Draft
The 2010 NHL Entry Draft was the 48th NHL Entry Draft, held on June 25–26, 2010 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California, home arena of the Los Angeles Kings. This was the first time Los Angeles hosted the NHL Entry Draft. An unofficial record of 11 American-trained players were selected in...
. Boyle was pressured to waive his no-trade clause by Tampa Bay's ownership, who said they would otherwise place him on waivers where he would likely be claimed by the Atlanta Thrashers. Frustrated at interference in the team's hockey operations by Barrie
Len Barrie
Leonard G. Barrie is a retired professional ice hockey forward who played 184 games in the National Hockey League. He played for the Philadelphia Flyers, Pittsburgh Penguins, Los Angeles Kings, and Florida Panthers...
and Koules
Oren Koules
Oren Koules is an American entertainment industry and professional sports industry executive. He was president of Evolution Entertainment, producer of the Saw film series...
, seven days later GM Jay Feaster saw the handwriting on the wall and resigned, despite having 3 years remaining on his contract.
2008–09 season: From bad to worse
The Lightning opened the season in the Czech RepublicCzech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
against the New York Rangers
New York Rangers
The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the borough of Manhattan in New York, New York, USA. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Playing their home games at Madison Square Garden, the Rangers are one of the...
as a part of the NHL
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
's regular season "Premiere" that selects several teams to open the NHL regular season in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
.
Barry Melrose
Barry Melrose
Barry James Melrose is a former player and head coach in the National Hockey League, as well as a current commentator and hockey analyst for ESPN.-Playing career:...
would record his first win as a head coach in over 13 years on October 21, 2008 with a 3–2 victory over the Atlanta Thrashers
Atlanta Thrashers
The Atlanta Thrashers were a professional ice hockey team based in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. Atlanta was granted a franchise in the National Hockey League on June 25, 1997, and became the league's 28th franchise when it began play in the 1999–2000 NHL season...
. However, the Lightning did not get off to a great start as hoped, and Melrose was fired by the Lightning with a 5–7–4 record. Rick Tocchet
Rick Tocchet
Richard Tocchet is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey right winger who played 18 seasons in the National Hockey League for the Philadelphia Flyers, Pittsburgh Penguins, Los Angeles Kings, Boston Bruins, Washington Capitals and Phoenix Coyotes. He was most recently the head coach of the...
, who had been hired as assistant coach during the previous offseason, was promoted to interim head coach.
On March 4 NHL veterans Mark Recchi
Mark Recchi
Mark Louis Recchi is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey right winger who played 22 years in the National Hockey League , most notably for the Pittsburgh Penguins, Philadelphia Flyers, Boston Bruins and Montreal Canadiens...
and Olaf Kolzig
Olaf Kölzig
Olaf Kölzig is a retired German professional ice hockey goaltender and associate goalie coach for the Washington Capitals. With the exception of 8 games with the Tampa Bay Lightning, he played his entire 14 year career with the Capitals...
were traded by the Tampa Bay Lightning to the Boston Bruins
Boston Bruins
The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The team has been in existence since 1924, and is the league's third-oldest team and its oldest in the...
and Toronto Maple Leafs
Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
respectively.
The Lightning acquired top round picks Matt Lashoff
Matt Lashoff
Matt Robert Lashoff is an American professional ice hockey defenseman and professional musician currently playing for the Toronto Maple Leafs of the NHL. Matt's younger brother, Brian Lashoff, is a prospect for the Detroit Red Wings....
and Martins Karsums
Martins Karsums
Mārtiņš Karsums is a Latvian professional ice hockey player currently playing as a right winger for Dinamo Riga of the Kontinental Hockey League . Karsums was selected in the second round, 64th overall, in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft by the Boston Bruins...
from the Bruins.
After the firing of Melrose, the Lightning went 19–33–14, and would finish the season 24–40–18 with 66 points, their lowest point total since the 2000–01 season. With the 2nd overall pick in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft
2009 NHL Entry Draft
The 2009 NHL Entry Draft was the 47th Entry Draft. It was held on June 26–27, 2009 at the Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec. The Draft was part of the Montreal Canadiens centennial celebrations. National Hockey League teams took turns selecting amateur ice hockey players from junior, collegiate, or...
, the Lightning selected Victor Hedman
Victor Hedman
Victor Erik Olof Hedman is a Swedish professional ice hockey defenceman who plays for the Tampa Bay Lightning of the National Hockey League . He was drafted second overall by the Lightning in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft...
.
2009–10 season: Season of new beginnings
During the offseason, the Lightning removed the interim status of Rick TocchetRick Tocchet
Richard Tocchet is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey right winger who played 18 seasons in the National Hockey League for the Philadelphia Flyers, Pittsburgh Penguins, Los Angeles Kings, Boston Bruins, Washington Capitals and Phoenix Coyotes. He was most recently the head coach of the...
, and decided to make him the full-time coach with a multi-year contract. The Lightning had an up and down beginning to the 2009–10 campaign, however Martin St. Louis and Vincent Lecavalier continued to show strong leadership. Despite an overmatched roster on paper, and a team that struggled in the first 2 periods of many games, the Lightning remained competitive in the playoff race until March, when they went 5–10–1 for the month and fell 8 points out of a playoff spot. Unable to make a final push for the playoffs, they were officially eliminated from contention within the first week of April. The Lightning finished the season 34–36–12, 4th in the Southeast Division, and 12th in the Eastern Conference.
Steven Stamkos
Steven Stamkos
Steven Stamkos is a Canadian professional ice hockey player, an alternate captain for the Tampa Bay Lightning of the National Hockey League . Stamkos was the first overall pick in the 2006 OHL Entry Draft, from the Markham Waxers of the OMHA. Playing with the Sarnia Sting of the Ontario Hockey...
scored 51 goals in just his second NHL season, earning himself a share of the Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy by finishing tied for the league lead in goals with Pittsburgh Penguins
Pittsburgh Penguins
The Pittsburgh Penguins are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The franchise was founded in 1967 as one of the first expansion teams during the league's original...
star Sidney Crosby
Sidney Crosby
Sidney Patrick Crosby ONS is a Canadian professional ice hockey player and captain of the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League . Crosby was drafted first overall by the Penguins out of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League...
.
During the season, the team was sold to Boston investment banker Jeffrey Vinik
Jeffrey Vinik
Jeffrey N. Vinik is the current owner of the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Tampa Bay Storm , as well as a minority owner of the Boston Red Sox...
. Following the late-season collapse, Vinik cleaned house, firing both Rick Tocchet
Rick Tocchet
Richard Tocchet is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey right winger who played 18 seasons in the National Hockey League for the Philadelphia Flyers, Pittsburgh Penguins, Los Angeles Kings, Boston Bruins, Washington Capitals and Phoenix Coyotes. He was most recently the head coach of the...
, the head coach, and Brian Lawton
Brian Lawton
Brian R. Lawton is a former professional ice hockey left wing and agent who played 483 games in the National Hockey League between 1983 and 1992...
, the general manager, on April 12, 2010, one day after the season ended.
In May 2010, Vinik hired Steve Yzerman
Steve Yzerman
Stephen Gregory "Steve" Yzerman is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player and current general manager of the Tampa Bay Lightning of the National Hockey League...
away from the Detroit Red Wings
Detroit Red Wings
The Detroit Red Wings are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League , and are one of the Original Six teams of the NHL, along with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, New York...
front office to be the new general manager, signing him to a five-year contract. Yzerman then hired Guy Boucher
Guy Boucher
Guy Boucher is the head coach of the Tampa Bay Lightning of the National Hockey League and a former hockey player.-Playing years:Before his coaching years, Boucher played right wing with the McGill Redmen between 1991 and 1995...
away from the Montreal Canadiens
Montreal Canadiens
The Montreal Canadiens are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is officially known as ...
organization to succeed Tocchet as the head coach two weeks later.
Yzerman's first offseason with Tampa Bay began with a splash. With the 6th pick of the 2010 NHL Entry Draft
2010 NHL Entry Draft
The 2010 NHL Entry Draft was the 48th NHL Entry Draft, held on June 25–26, 2010 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California, home arena of the Los Angeles Kings. This was the first time Los Angeles hosted the NHL Entry Draft. An unofficial record of 11 American-trained players were selected in...
, the Lightning selected forward Brett Connolly
Brett Connolly
Brett Connolly is a Canadian ice hockey player for the Tampa Bay Lightning of the National Hockey League . He was named the WHL and CHL Rookie of the Year in 2008–09 after becoming the first 16-year-old to score 30 goals in the WHL in 13 years. He was selected sixth overall by the Tampa Bay...
despite a history of injuries while playing for the Prince George Cougars
Prince George Cougars
The Prince George Cougars are a major junior ice hockey team in the Western Hockey League. The team is based in Prince George, British Columbia, and plays its home games at the CN Centre...
. When asked about Connolly's injuries being a factor in the decision to draft him, Yzerman boldly declared, "I think it was a factor that he was available with the 6th pick. Because if he had been healthy all year, based on everything I know, he would not have been available with the 6th pick." On July 1, 2010 veteran blueliner Andrej Meszaros was traded to the Philadelphia Flyers
Philadelphia Flyers
The Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
in exchange for their 2nd round pick in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft
2011 NHL Entry Draft
The 2011 NHL Entry Draft was the 49th NHL Entry Draft. It was held on June 24–25, 2011, at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minnesota. It was the first time the Draft was held in the state of Minnesota since the Minnesota North Stars hosted the 1989 NHL Entry Draft.The top three picks consisted...
. Later that day, the Lightning signed their star winger Martin St. Louis
Martin St. Louis
Martin St. Louis is a Canadian professional ice hockey right winger and alternate captain currently playing for the Tampa Bay Lightning of the National Hockey League .-Playing career:...
to a lucrative 4-year contract extension worth $22.5 million beginning on July 1, 2011. On July 19, in another move with the Flyers, the Lightning traded defenseman Matt Walker and Tampa Bay's 4th round pick in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft in exchange for high scoring winger Simon Gagne
Simon Gagné
Simon Gagné is a Canadian professional ice hockey left winger for the Los Angeles Kings of the National Hockey League . Prior to Los Angeles, he spent the first 10 seasons of his NHL career with the Philadelphia Flyers and another with the Tampa Bay Lightning.Drafted out of the Quebec Major Junior...
. Other offseason acquisitions included the signing of forwards Sean Bergenheim
Sean Bergenheim
Sean Bergenheim is a Finnish professional ice hockey winger, currently playing for the Florida Panthers of the National Hockey League .- Playing career :...
, Dominic Moore
Dominic Moore
Dominic Michael Moore is an Canadian professional ice hockey centre who currently plays for the Tampa Bay Lightning of the National Hockey League. Moore attended both St. Michael Catholic Elementary School and St. Anthony's Catholic Elementary School in Thornhill, Ontario; St...
and Marc-Antoine Pouliot
Marc-Antoine Pouliot
Marc-Antoine Pouliot is a Canadian professional ice hockey player, currently playing for the Phoenix Coyotes of the National Hockey League . He was selected 22nd overall by Edmonton in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft.-Junior:...
along with defensemen Brett Clark, Randy Jones and Pavel Kubina
Pavel Kubina
Pavel Kubina is a Czech professional ice hockey defenceman, and is currently playing for the Tampa Bay Lightning.-Playing career:Kubina started his professional career with HC Vítkovice of the Czech Extraliga...
, goaltender Dan Ellis
Dan Ellis
Daniel Ellis is a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender who currently plays for the Anaheim Ducks of the National Hockey League...
and the re-signing of restricted free agent forward Steve Downie
Steve Downie
Steve Downie is a Canadian professional ice hockey player currently playing for the Tampa Bay Lightning in the National Hockey League.-Playing career:...
to a 2-year, $3.7 million deal.
2010–11 season: Redemption
With starting goaltender Mike Smith injured, the Lightning called up Cedrick DesjardinsCédrick Desjardins
Cédrick Desjardins is a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender currently with the Colorado Avalanche organization of the National Hockey League.-Playing career:...
who played with a 95% save percentages and a 1.00 GAA in two games. Since Dan Ellis
Dan Ellis
Daniel Ellis is a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender who currently plays for the Anaheim Ducks of the National Hockey League...
was not a strong starting goaltender, Steve Yzerman acquired veteran Dwayne Roloson
Dwayne Roloson
Albert Dwayne Roloson is a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender currently playing for the Tampa Bay Lightning in the National Hockey League . He has previously played for the Calgary Flames, Buffalo Sabres, Minnesota Wild, Edmonton Oilers, and New York Islanders during his professional career...
from the New York Islanders
New York Islanders
The New York Islanders are a professional ice hockey team based in Uniondale, New York. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
.
The Lightning compiled a 46–25–11 record with 103 points, matching a franchise record for wins in a season. After holding the first place in the Southeast Division for several months, they fell to second after a poor performance in March. Their record was good enough for second in the Southeast Division and fifth in the Eastern Conference, and they returned to the playoffs for the first time since the 2006–07 season. Scoring 31 goals and assisting on 68, Martin St. Louis
Martin St. Louis
Martin St. Louis is a Canadian professional ice hockey right winger and alternate captain currently playing for the Tampa Bay Lightning of the National Hockey League .-Playing career:...
finished second in the league in points.
In the 2011 Stanley Cup Playoffs
2011 Stanley Cup playoffs
The 2011 Stanley Cup playoffs of the National Hockey League began on April 13, 2011, after the conclusion of the 2010–11 NHL regular season. Game 1 of the Finals was held on June 1, while Game 7 was held on June 15...
, Tampa Bay drew the Pittsburgh Penguins
Pittsburgh Penguins
The Pittsburgh Penguins are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The franchise was founded in 1967 as one of the first expansion teams during the league's original...
in the Conference Quarterfinals. After losing Game 4 at home in the second overtime period, they fell behind in the series one game to three. However, the Lightning went on to win the next three games, including a 1–0 Game 7 win on the road, taking their first playoff series since winning the Stanley Cup
Stanley Cup
The Stanley Cup is an ice hockey club trophy, awarded annually to the National Hockey League playoffs champion after the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Finals. It has been referred to as The Cup, Lord Stanley's Cup, The Holy Grail, or facetiously as Lord Stanley's Mug...
in 2004. In the Conference Semifinals, the Lightning swept the top-seeded Washington Capitals
Washington Capitals
The Washington Capitals are a professional ice hockey team based in Washington, D.C. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Since their founding in 1974, "The Caps" have won one conference championship to reach the 1998 Stanley Cup...
.
Tampa Bay went up against the Boston Bruins
Boston Bruins
The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The team has been in existence since 1924, and is the league's third-oldest team and its oldest in the...
in the Eastern Conference Finals. In Game 4 of the series, the Lightning trailed 3–0 at the end of the first period. When Dwayne Roloson was pulled for Mike Smith, the Bruins failed to score again, and the Lightning tied the game in the second period by scoring three goals in 3:58, going on to win the game 5–3 and tying the series at two games apiece. The series went the full seven games, but the Lightning were eliminated and denied a Stanley Cup Final by a single goal, as the game was lost (0-1).
Radio and television
The Lightning radio broadcasts are on WDAE; the play-by-play announcer is Dave Mishkin, known for his energetic style and his tendency to shriek when the Lightning score. Phil EspositoPhil Esposito
Philip Anthony Esposito, OC is a former Canadian professional ice hockey centre who played 18 seasons in the National Hockey League for the Chicago Black Hawks, Boston Bruins and New York Rangers. He is an Honoured Member of the Hockey Hall of Fame and is considered to be one of the best to have...
is the color commentator for home games. Matthew Sammon is the pregame and intermission host. The Lightning television broadcasts can be seen on Sun Sports
Sun Sports
Sun Sports is a Florida sports broadcasting network, with its headquarters in Orlando. Launched in 1988 as Sunshine Network, the station is now affiliated with virtually every cable company throughout the state of Florida and can be picked up by some satellite providers around the United...
. The television play-by-play announcer is Rick Peckham
Rick Peckham
Rick Peckham is the current play-by-play broadcaster for the NHL's Tampa Bay Lightning hockey team. Previously, Peckham had served as the play-by-play announcer for the Hartford Whalers from 1984 through 1995. He has also broadcast NHL games on ESPN and SportsChannel America . Through 1977–84,...
. The color commentator is Bobby Taylor
Bobby Taylor (ice hockey)
Robert Ian Taylor , affectionately known as "Chief", is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender. He is currently the colour commentator on Tampa Bay Lightning television broadcasts. Previously, he held the same role for the Philadelphia Flyers...
. The studio host is Paul Kennedy
Paul Kennedy
Paul Michael Kennedy CBE, FBA , is a British historian at Yale University specialising in the history of international relations, economic power and grand strategy. He has published prominent books on the history of British foreign policy and Great Power struggles...
. Todd Kalas
Todd Kalas
Todd Harry Kalas is a television broadcaster for the Tampa Bay Rays. He is the son of the late longtime Philadelphia Phillies Hall of Fame broadcaster Harry Kalas.-Early life and career:...
and Whit Watson
Whit Watson
Whit Watson is a sportscaster for Golf Channel, hired in August of 2010.Prior to that position, Watson was a primary host for Sun Sports and Fox Sports Florida, the Florida-based regional cable networks owned and operated by Fox Television. He joined the network in August 2003 after nearly seven...
also host in select home games. Brittany Zion is the in-arena host. Former Lightning players Chris Dingman
Chris Dingman
Christopher Dingman is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. He played in the National Hockey League with the Calgary Flames, Colorado Avalanche, Carolina Hurricanes and the Tampa Bay Lightning.-Playing career:...
and Dave Andreychuk
Dave Andreychuk
David John Andreychuk is a former professional ice hockey left winger who played in the NHL with the Buffalo Sabres, Toronto Maple Leafs, New Jersey Devils, Boston Bruins, Colorado Avalanche and Tampa Bay Lightning...
assist with the television broadcasts on occasion.
Team colors and mascot
Since starting play, the Lightning colors have been blue, black, silver and white. Their logo has been a stylized lightning bolt. This is the origin of one nickname for the team—the 'Bolts'.Logo and jerseys
The original Lightning jerseys featured simple stripes on the sleeves and tail, and contrasting shoulders—black shoulders over a white jersey, and white shoulders over the black—with the alternate logo (a lightning bolt over the outline of the state of Florida). The underarm gussets included a feature referred to as "victory stripes"—a group of thin stripes, alternating in the team's colors (black-silver-blue on white, or white-blue-silver on black). For the 1996-97 season, the Lightning added a third jersey, primarily blue with a sublimatedDye-sublimation printer
A dye-sublimation printer is a computer printer which employs a printing process that uses heat to transfer dye onto medium materials such as a plastic card, paper, or fabric. The sublimation name is applied because the dye transitions between the solid and gas states without going through a...
wave and rain design on the front and back, lightning bolts down the sleeves, a silver-gray shoulder yoke, and black gussets. The third jersey was retired after the 1998-99 season.
In their first two seasons, the Lightning used a stylized block font for player names, with gaps in the upper loops of letters such as A, B, D, and R. The numbers were standard block numbers with drop shadow
Drop shadow
In computer graphics, a drop shadow is a visual effect consisting of drawing that looks like the shadow of an object, giving the impression that the object is raised above the objects behind it. The drop shadow is often used for elements of a graphical user interface such as windows or menus, and...
s. The fonts were vertical in 1992-93, and italicized in 1993-94. The following season, the name font changed to a block font, vertically arched, while the number font changed to a painted style resembling the letters "Tampa Bay" in the logo. This style was also used on the blue alternate in 1998-99, replacing an "electrified" number font from 1996-98. In 2000-01, the old fonts were replaced with traditional block letters and numbers, which have been used ever since.
As with all NHL teams for the 2007–08 season, the Lightning debuted in new Reebok "Rbk Edge" jerseys. Also, like several other NHL teams, the Lightning updated their team logo.
The Lightning unveiled their new logo on August 25, 2007. The new logo is similar to the old one, but with a more modern look. The new logo also kept the same theme as the previous one, but with the words "Tampa Bay" across the top now appearing with tall capital initials, and the word "Lightning" no longer appearing on the bottom of the logo.
The Edge jerseys use the same template adopted by the Ottawa Senators and Pittsburgh Penguins. Unlike those teams, the Lightning's elbow panels remain the base color of the jersey, and an additional blue panel is added near the cuff of the sleeve. The Edge uniforms retain the underarm gusset "victory stripes" of their predecessors.
It was reported on January 23, 2011 that the Lightning had filed paperwork with the NHL to change their logo and colors, beginning with the 2011–12 season. The new logo, as well as the new home and away jerseys, were unveiled by the team at a press conference at the St. Pete Times Forum on January 31, 2011.
New alternate jersey (2008–present)
Along with many other NHL teams, the Lightning debuted a new "Alternate" or "Third" jersey in the 2008–09 season. The jersey features a dominant "electric blue" color, with black and silver accents at the end of the sleeves. The logo is removed, and in its place emblazoned across the front of the jersey descending to the lower left of the jersey is the word "BOLTS" (utilizing a layout similar to that of the Ottawa SenatorsOttawa Senators
The Ottawa Senators are a professional ice hockey team based in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
third jersey). The numbers are featured on the back and sleeves only, using white lettering.
ThunderBug
The Lightning mascot is a lightning bugFirefly
Lampyridae is a family of insects in the beetle order Coleoptera. They are winged beetles, and commonly called fireflies or lightning bugs for their conspicuous crepuscular use of bioluminescence to attract mates or prey. Fireflies produce a "cold light", with no infrared or ultraviolet frequencies...
named ThunderBug. He performs at games and makes appearances in the community. According to the Lightning website http://lightning.nhl.com/team/app/?service=page&page=NHLPage&bcid=tbl_content_1395, his hobbies include "wrestling Florida Panthers
Florida Panthers
The Florida Panthers are a professional ice hockey team based in Sunrise, Florida, in the Miami metropolitan area. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . They play their games at the BankAtlantic Center in Sunrise and are the...
, Shark
San Jose Sharks
The San Jose Sharks are a professional ice hockey team based in San Jose, California, United States. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
fishing, hunting Ducks
Anaheim Ducks
The Anaheim Ducks are a professional ice hockey team based in Anaheim, California, USA. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
, trap shooting Thrashers
Atlanta Thrashers
The Atlanta Thrashers were a professional ice hockey team based in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. Atlanta was granted a franchise in the National Hockey League on June 25, 1997, and became the league's 28th franchise when it began play in the 1999–2000 NHL season...
and Carolina
Carolina Hurricanes
The Carolina Hurricanes are a professional ice hockey team based in Raleigh, North Carolina, USA. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League , and play their home games at the 18,680-seat RBC Center...
Hog tying".
Lightning Girls
The Lightning also utilize a dance team known as the Lightning Girls at all home games and community events. The Tampa Bay Lightning Girls are a group of dancers who perform in the stands.Season-by-season record
This is a partial list of the last five seasons completed by the Lightning. For the full season-by-season history, see List of Tampa Bay Lightning seasonsNote: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, OTL = Overtime Losses, Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against
Records as of April 10, 2011.
| Season | GP | W | L | OTL | Pts | GF | GA | Finish | Playoffs |
| 2006–07 | 82 | 44 | 33 | 5 | 93 | 253 | 261 | 2nd, Southeast | Lost in Conference Quarterfinals, 2–4 (Devils New Jersey Devils The New Jersey Devils are a professional ice hockey team based in Newark, New Jersey, United States. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League... ) |
| 2007–08 | 82 | 31 | 42 | 9 | 71 | 223 | 267 | 5th, Southeast | Did not qualify |
| 2008–09 2008–09 NHL season The 2008–09 NHL season was the 92nd season of operation of the National Hockey League . It was the first season since prior to the 2004–05 lockout in which every team played each other at least once during the season, following three seasons where teams only played against two divisions in the... |
82 | 24 | 40 | 18 | 66 | 210 | 279 | 5th, Southeast | Did not qualify |
| 2009–10 2009–10 NHL season The 2009–10 NHL season was the 93rd season of operation of the National Hockey League , and the 100th season since the founding of the predecessor National Hockey Association . It ran from October 1, 2009, including four games in Europe on October 2 and 3—until April 11, 2010, with the 2010... |
82 | 34 | 36 | 12 | 80 | 217 | 260 | 4th, Southeast | Did not qualify |
| 2010–11 | 82 | 46 | 25 | 11 | 103 | 247 | 240 | 2nd, Southeast | Lost in Conference Finals, 3-4 (Bruins Boston Bruins The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The team has been in existence since 1924, and is the league's third-oldest team and its oldest in the... ) |
Honored Members
Hall of Famers- Dino CiccarelliDino Ciccarelli.Dino Ciccarelli is a Canadian former professional hockey player who played 19 seasons in the National Hockey League, primarily with the Minnesota North Stars. He scored 1,200 points in his NHL career. His 608 career NHL goals are also the most goals scored by a draft-eligible player who was not...
, RW, 1996–1998, inducted 2010 - Denis SavardDenis SavardDenis Joseph Savard is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player. He played in the National Hockey League from 1980 to 1997, and was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2000...
, C, 1993–1995, inducted 2000
Retired numbers: The Lightning have not retired any numbers. However, Wayne Gretzky
Wayne Gretzky
Wayne Douglas Gretzky, CC is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player and former head coach. Nicknamed "The Great One", he is generally regarded as the best player in the history of the National Hockey League , and has been called "the greatest hockey player ever" by many sportswriters,...
's number 99 was retired league-wide February 6, 2000.
Franchise scoring leaders
These are the top-ten point-scorers in franchise history. Figures are updated after each completed NHL regular season.Note: Pos = Position; GP = Games Played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; P/G = Points per game; * = current Lightning player
| Player | Pos | GP | G | A | Pts | P/G |
| Vincent Lecavalier Vincent Lecavalier Vincent Lecavalier is a Canadian professional hockey center and captain of the Tampa Bay Lightning of the National Hockey League .-Rimouski Océanic:... * |
C | 934 | 351 | 442 | 793 | .85 |
| Martin St. Louis Martin St. Louis Martin St. Louis is a Canadian professional ice hockey right winger and alternate captain currently playing for the Tampa Bay Lightning of the National Hockey League .-Playing career:... * |
RW | 785 | 294 | 464 | 758 | .97 |
| Brad Richards Brad Richards Bradley Glenn Richards is a Canadian professional ice hockey centre and alternate captain for the New York Rangers of the National Hockey League .-Early career:Born and raised in Murray Harbour, Prince Edward Island... |
C | 552 | 150 | 339 | 489 | .89 |
| Vaclav Prospal Vaclav Prospal Václav "Vinny" Prospal is a Czech professional ice hockey left winger who is currently a member of the Columbus Blue Jackets in the National Hockey League.-Playing career:... |
C | 468 | 127 | 244 | 371 | .79 |
| Brian Bradley Brian Bradley Brian Richard Walter Bradley is a former professional ice hockey player. Bradley played for a number of different hockey teams in many different leagues. He played for the London Knights in the early 1980s before being selected 51st overall, in the 3rd round, by the Calgary Flames at the 1983 NHL... |
C | 328 | 111 | 189 | 300 | .91 |
| Fredrik Modin Fredrik Modin Fredrik "Freddy" Modin is a Swedish former professional ice hockey left winger, who played 14 seasons in the National Hockey League and most notably won the Stanley Cup with the Tampa Bay Lightning in the 2003–04 season.... |
LW | 445 | 145 | 141 | 286 | .64 |
| Chris Gratton Chris Gratton Christopher A. Gratton is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player who last played with the Columbus Blue Jackets of the National Hockey League... |
C | 482 | 98 | 161 | 259 | .54 |
| Dan Boyle | D | 394 | 66 | 187 | 253 | .58 |
| Pavel Kubina Pavel Kubina Pavel Kubina is a Czech professional ice hockey defenceman, and is currently playing for the Tampa Bay Lightning.-Playing career:Kubina started his professional career with HC Vítkovice of the Czech Extraliga... * |
D | 610 | 69 | 163 | 232 | .39 |
| Steven Stamkos Steven Stamkos Steven Stamkos is a Canadian professional ice hockey player, an alternate captain for the Tampa Bay Lightning of the National Hockey League . Stamkos was the first overall pick in the 2006 OHL Entry Draft, from the Markham Waxers of the OMHA. Playing with the Sarnia Sting of the Ontario Hockey... * |
C | 243 | 119 | 113 | 232 | .95 |
NHL awards and trophies
King Clancy Memorial TrophyKing Clancy Memorial Trophy
The King Clancy Memorial Trophy is awarded annually to the National Hockey League player who best exemplifies leadership qualities on and off the ice and who has made a significant humanitarian contribution to his community. Since the award was established in 1988, no player has won it more than...
- Vincent LecavalierVincent LecavalierVincent Lecavalier is a Canadian professional hockey center and captain of the Tampa Bay Lightning of the National Hockey League .-Rimouski Océanic:...
: 2007–08
Individual
- Most goals in a season: Vincent LecavalierVincent LecavalierVincent Lecavalier is a Canadian professional hockey center and captain of the Tampa Bay Lightning of the National Hockey League .-Rimouski Océanic:...
, 52 (2006–07) - Most assists in a season: Brad RichardsBrad RichardsBradley Glenn Richards is a Canadian professional ice hockey centre and alternate captain for the New York Rangers of the National Hockey League .-Early career:Born and raised in Murray Harbour, Prince Edward Island...
(2005–06) and Martin St. LouisMartin St. LouisMartin St. Louis is a Canadian professional ice hockey right winger and alternate captain currently playing for the Tampa Bay Lightning of the National Hockey League .-Playing career:...
(2010–11), 68 - Most points in a season: Vincent Lecavalier, 108 (2006–07)
- Most penalty minutes in a season: Zenon KonopkaZenon KonopkaZenon Konopka is a Canadian professional ice hockey player. Konopka is currently a member of the Ottawa Senators of the National Hockey League...
, 265 (2009–10) - Most points in a season, defenseman: Roman HamrlikRoman HamrlíkRoman Hamrlík is a Czech professional ice hockey defenceman currently playing for the Washington Capitals of the National Hockey League .- Playing career :...
, 65 (1995–96) - Most points in a season, rookie: Brad Richards, 62 (2000–01)
- Most wins in a season: Nikolai KhabibulinNikolai KhabibulinNikolai Ivanovich Khabibulin is a Russian professional ice hockey goaltender currently playing for the Edmonton Oilers of the National Hockey League...
, 30 (2002–03) - Most shutouts in a season: Nikolai Khabibulin, 7 (2001–02)
Team
- Largest Home Playoff Attendance: 28,183 (ThunderDome – now Tropicana FieldTropicana FieldTropicana Field is a domed stadium in St. Petersburg, Florida, which has been the home of Major League Baseball's Tampa Bay Rays since the team's inaugural season in 1998, when they were the Devil Rays. It has also served as the host stadium for the Beef 'O' Brady's Bowl, an NCAA-sanctioned college...
) (1995–96)