Tampa Bay Lightning C Steven Stamkos: ‘Tampa Is A Hockey Town’
Tampa Bay Lightning captain Steven Stamkos considers Tampa Bay to be a hockey town, and is one of the many reasons he decided to stay here in the Bolts Nation.
There are some teams in the National Hockey League that will have been existence for 100 years as of 2017. Two of the original six teams, the Montreal Canadiens and the Toronto Maple Leafs, both joined the NHL all the way back in 1917. Unfortunately, the Tampa Bay Lightning doesn’t have that kind of legacy just yet.
The Tampa Bay Lightning was founded in 1992, which means the franchise we call our own has been around for about 24 years. Does this make the aforementioned teams any better than us on the ice? Of course not. Simply having more time on the ice doesn’t qualify a team to be the very best.
Anyone who has been a Tampa Bay Lightning fan for more than a couple of years has more than likely heard their fair share about all the “bandwagon” fans the Lightning have and how the Bay area will never be a true hockey town. Some hockey fans have even gone as far as to say there is no room the NHL for a team in the Southern States; mostly directed at the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Florida Panthers.
Tampa Bay Lightning
Well, we hate to be the bearer of bad news for all those soon-to-be disappointed hockey haters out there, but Tampa Bay has turned into quite the buzzing hockey town right in front of your faces. Don’t believe us? Ok, no problem. How about you have a conversation with Tampa Bay Lightning captain Steven Stamkos. We’re pretty sure you’re going to get the same answer out of him.
As most of you know by now, Tampa Bay Lightning Vice President and General Manager Steve Yzerman was able to come to terms with Lightning captain Steven Stamkos on an eight-year contract extension which will see the Markham, Ontario native in Lightning blue until the conclusion of the 2023-24 season. Needless to say, this means the captain will remain here in the Bolts Nation for a majority of his on-ice career.
Shortly after the announcement of Stamkos’ contract extension made its way around the internet, Stamkos took the mic at the Amalie Arena for an interview on his recent extension and to answer questions from the local and national media about his place within the organization and what it means to be in Tampa Bay long-term. The captain’s answer won’t shock many here in Tampa, but may just rattle the rest of the hockey world.
"“Realizing the last four to five years, sold out every night. The last couple of years in the playoffs, seeing the passion that these fans have. I tell everyone, it is a hockey town.” Stamkos said."
Players like Steven Stamkos and Victor Hedman, who are widely considered to be the cornerstones of the team, as Michelle Gingras said in her interview with Stamkos, had every opportunity to chase the almighty dollar and make their way to a new team with a substantially larger amount than the Lightning have to offer, but together they decided this is where they wanted to be and the team they wanted to win a championship with.
If the Tampa Bay Lightning were one of those fly-by-night organizations some National Hockey League fans think they are, Steven Stamkos and Victor Hedman wouldn’t have made the financial sacrifices they did to remain right here where they are appreciated for their talent and respected for the way they conduct themselves both on and off the ice.
Next: Steven Stamkos Setting The Bar In The Locker Room
24 years ago, no one believed that a little expansion team from a state that has seen many more white sandy beaches than snowy white Christmases would ever make it in a league like the National Hockey League. After all this time, here we are…at the top of our game with some of the best talent in the league. It will be interesting to see how things play out next season as the Lightning look for another chance to play for Lord Stanley’s Cup.