Tampa Bay Lightning players reimagined as characters from Game of Thrones
Steven Stamkos – Ned Stark, King of the North
Tampa Bay Lightning captain Steven Stamkos may very well be one of the best leaders the Lightning have seen in quite some time. He has a solid rapport with the players in the locker room and is even more loved by the fans here in the Bolts Nation.
Stamkos is an incredibly skilled forward who could rival the likes of just about anyone in the league. Just ask Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby, who shared the Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy with Stamkos in the 2009-10 season where both players scored a total of 51 goals.
The unfortunate side to Steven Stamkos is the injury bug has been particularly hard on Stamkos over the last couple of seasons. On November 11, 2013, Steven Stamkos would suffer the first real injury of his career.
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After a horrific-looking collision with a goal post at the TD Garden, Stamkos would be taken from the ice by stretcher. It would later be determined Stamkos would need to undergo surgery to stabilize a fracture in his right tibia. Steven Stamkos would not return to the ice until March 6 as the Lightning battled the Buffalo Sabres
Incidentally, this would also be the night Stamkos was named the 10th captain in Tampa Bay Lightning history.
Unfortunately, this was not the end of the captain’s injury woes. On April 3, 2016, Lightning Vice President and General Manager Steve Yzerman announced Stamkos had been diagnosed with a blood clot which would require vascular surgery to repair.
This would leave Stamkos off the shelf until May 26 when he would return in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals. Unfortunately, the Lightning would fall 2-1 to the Pittsburgh Penguins, thus ending the Lightning’s postseason run.
On November 15, 2016, just one month into the 2016-17 season, the captain would be the victim of an awkward fall along the boards would cause yet another incredibly detrimental injury to the Lightning captain. It turns out, Stamkos suffered a lateral meniscus tear in his right knee requiring surgery to repair.
Unfortunately, this would be the end of the season for Steven Stamkos. His recovery would take slightly longer than most Lightning fans would’ve hoped for and he would be forced to miss the remainder of the season.
It is because of this we have likened him to Game of Thrones character Eddard “Ned” Stark. As anyone who has watched the show knows, Ned Stark was a solid leader who cared not only for his own family but for the people of Winterfell as well. Ned was loyal to his people, almost to a fault.
Unfortunately, it is this loyalty and need to do the right thing which would lead to his ultimate downfall. After the passing of Robert Baratheon, Robert’s “son” Joffrey claims the throne for his own.
Unfortunately, once Ned realizes the fact that Joffrey is actually not Robert’s son, but a product of a relationship between Queen Cersei and her brother Jaime (I think I speak for everyone when I say, ick.) he is summarily beheaded by the new king.
This just goes to show you that sometimes, no matter how hard you fight for your team and strive to do things the right way, you still wind up with your head on a pike for all to see. Now, let’s hope things never get this dramatic on the Tampa Bay Lightning. While we don’t ever see Stamkos with his head on a pike displayed prominently in the Amalie Arena for all to see, he has certainly taken his share of lumps for the team.
Let’s hope the coming season is much better for the young Lightning captain. We don’t know about you, but we would love to see what the team could accomplish with a full roster of non-injured players this season.