Tampa Bay Lightning: 50 Greatest Moments In Franchise History
By Kyle Barber
Mar 17, 2014; Tampa, FL, USA; former Tampa Bay Lightning former left wing Dave Andreychuk (5) is introduced before the game as they honor the 2004 Standley Cub champions against the Vancouver Canucks at Tampa Bay Times Forum. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
26. Tampa Bay Lightning Sign Dave Andreychuk
Date:July 17, 2001
After playing 22-years in the NHL at a high level, Dave Andreychuk still had not won a Stanley Cup. He had spent parts of 22-season with the Buffalo Sabres, Toronto Maple Leafs, New Jersey Devils, Colorado Avalanche, and Boston Bruins before becoming a free agent following the 2000-01 season.
In a shocking turn of events, the veteran forward decided to sign with with the retooling Tampa Bay Lightning, a young team full of young talented players but also one that didn’t seem ready to win a cup in the short time Andreychuk had left in the tank. Well, the move turned out to be the right one in the long run as the captain Dave helped the Lightning win it’s first ever Stanley Cup title.
During his first season, the team continued to struggle and refused all offers to be dealt to a contender and sited that he still had work to do in Tampa Bay. Andreychuk continued as a key contributor for the Lightning offense, reaching 20 goals for the third consecutive year with the team. Qualifying for the playoffs for a second consecutive year, Andreychuk helped the Lightning defeat the Calgary Flames in seven games to win the Stanley Cup for the first time in franchise history
It took 22-years for the Lightning captain to finally lift Lord Stanley’s cup over his head, but when he finally did, it seemed like that massive cup weighed less than a feather.
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