Tampa Bay Lightning players reimagined as characters from Game of Thrones
As fans of the HBO Original Series Game of Thrones prepare for tonight’s Season Seven Premiere, we took a little time to reimagine some of the Tampa Bay Lightning players as characters from the series.
As much as hockey fans would love to say otherwise, this particular part of the off-season really, really sucks. A good portion of the major movements in the Free Agency Period have already come to pass and there are usually very few solid prospects left unsigned. Then, there is the looming matter of not having hockey to watch.
In fact, there are still 82 days between now and the start of the Tampa Bay Lightning’s 25th Anniversary Season, which is set to kick off on October 6 against the Lightning’s in-state rivals, the Florida Panthers. Needless to say, Tampa Bay Lightning fans have quite a bit of time to kill before hockey returns.
The same cannot be said about fans of the HBO Original Series Game of Thrones. The series is based off the incredibly popular A Song of Ice and Fire novels written by bestselling author George R.R. Martin. You see, Game of Thrones fans have mere hours until their desires will be sated.
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Tonight, at 9:00 p.m. ET for those wondering, HBO will debut the Season Seven Premiere of the highly-regarded series. We here at Bolts By The Bay thought it would be nice to spice things up around here, so given the fact we are huge Game of Thrones fans here, we thought it would be interesting to take some members of the Lightning roster and reimagine some of them as characters from the popular series.
While there may be some glaring differences between the player and the character we are matching them with (mainly things like gender, overall look, and dire circumstance) there are quite a few reasons for each person’s pairing, which we will outline below. At the end of the day, you may very well think we’ve lost our minds, but at the very least, you won’t be bored. (That is unless you are not a fan of the show.)
The one thing we will say before we proceed is, if you are not caught up on the show and are still binge watching trying to beat the buzzer to tonight’s premiere, you may not want to continue reading this article, there is a very good chance you will come across a spoiler or two.
As much as we would love to have your back, we here at Bolts By The Bay will not be held responsible for the things you may hurl at your computer or the string of curse words that may escape your mouth at work or in front of little ones. In other words, you have been warned. Proceed at your own peril.
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.
Ryan Callahan – Robb Stark, King of the North
Much like Tampa Bay Lightning captain Steven Stamkos, Lightning alternate captain Ryan Callahan has had his fair share of bouts with the injury bug as well. Unfortunately, much like Stamkos, the injury bug has been named the victor in most of these encounters.
On June 21, 2016, Ryan Callahan was forced to undergo surgery to repair a labral tear in his right hip. This would cause Callahan to start the 2016-17 season on Injured Reserve. Cally wouldn’t play his first game of the season until October 30 as the Tampa Bay Lightning battled Callahan’s former team, the New York Rangers.
Unfortunately, it seems Callahan may have returned to the ice a little earlier than he should have. On November 29, Cally would be sidelined once again with what the team referred to as a Lower-Body Injury. Callahan would not be able to return to the ice until January 3 when the Bolts would take on the Winnipeg Jets.
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After playing just three games with the team, it would be determined that Callahan would be forced to miss the remainder of the season after a serious setback in his recovery would result in him undergoing a follow-up surgery on his hip.
Just like the captain before him, this is why we have likened Ryan Callahan with one of the more beleaguered characters in the Game of Thrones series. After the untimely (and rather gruesome) death of King of the North, Ned Stark, his eldest son Robb would assume the throne as King of the North.
Unfortunately, much like Ryan Callahan’s return to the ice, Robb Stark’s reign as King of the North would be short-lived. The young Stark would win many battles in his journey to regain control of the North after losing control thanks to a betrayal by one of his closest friends, Theon Greyjoy.
The bad news here is, this is the least of his problems. After a string of rather unwise decisions (otherwise known as a betrothal, a deflowering, a breaking of said betrothal, a marriage to the aforementioned deflowered, and an invitation he should’ve declined,) Robb found himself in much the same position as his father.
In an episode known as “The Red Wedding,” Robb is betrayed by one of his own men, who proceeded to stab him through the heart, leaving Robb to bleed out on the floor alongside his wife Talisa, his unborn child, and his mother Catelyn Stark. Needless to say, it was one of the most gruesome episodes of the series.
Please be warned, this particular video is rather graphic. If you are underage, have a weak stomach, or are at work/in the presence of little ones, you probably should NOT hit play.
Again, we don’t foresee “The Red Wedding” ever playing out on the ice, or off the ice for that matter. However, we still contend Callahan may have pushed himself a little too hard to make it back out onto the ice last season, and at the end of the day, it ended up costing him greatly.
We here at Bolts By The Bay sincerely hope Ryan Callahan had a good off-season and is well enough to truly take the ice with his team next season and have the season he should’ve had in the 2016-17 season. Only time will tell how this particular story will play out.
Nikita Kucherov – Jon Snow, Lord Commander of the Night’s Watch
Until the events of the past season played out when fans thought of the most high-powered goal scorer on the team, the answer was almost always the same; Tampa Bay Lightning captain Steven Stamkos. Unfortunately, with Stamkos sidelined for a majority of the season, the Bolts were in serious need of someone to step up and pick up where Stamkos left off.
There is absolutely no denying, the player who did just this last season was Lightning forward Nikita Kucherov. In the absence of the captain, Nikita Kucherov went on to score 40 goals and 45 assists for a grand total of 85 points in 74 games.
These numbers were not only astronomically higher than any other player on the team, they earned Kucherov second place in the NHL in goals, 18th place in the league in assists, and fifth place in the NHL in overall points. If one cannot consider this the save of the millennium, we’re not quite sure what would constitute this stature.
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It is because of this reason we have likened Nikita Kucherov to Ned Stark’s illegitimate son Jon Snow. When Game of Thrones first started, the last person you would’ve thought would swoop in and save the day was Jon Snow; yet…here we are.
Jon Snow has seen more than his fair share of trouble in his young life. Unfortunately, due to his status as Ned’s illegitimate child, his options in the kingdom are incredibly limited.
Having zero chance of claiming the throne in Winterfell, Jon decides to join an organization known as the Night’s Watch; an organization tasked with guarding the North wall against the Wildlings, White Walkers, and anything else which should seek to harm the realm. Unfortunately, while Jon is at the Night’s Watch, things turn upside down for his family (i.e. his father’s beheading and his brother’s murder.)
Despite his desire to return home to Winterfell and help keep the honor of Rulers of the North in his family, Jon is forced to remain at the Wall and remain steadfast at his post with the Night’s Watch. However, it wouldn’t be too entirely long before things start to change at the Wall and Jon is forced on a new path.
After being murdered by his own people, and magically brought back to life to fulfill his true destiny, Jon Snow finds himself reunited with his sister Sansa Stark, who has seen more than her fair share of heartaches as well. Once Jon hears the word of how Ramsay Bolton stripped all manner of dignity from his sister and how the Bolton family had claimed control of Winterfell, it was finally time for Jon to leave the Wall and return home.
In an episode known as “Battle of the Bastards,” Jon and his sister Sansa finally confront Ramsay Bolton. After a hard-fought battle, Jon ends up beating Ramsay Bolton within an inch of his life. Unfortunately, Ramsay’s life was not for Jon to take. This honor belonged to his sister, Sansa.
We’re not going to describe the intricate details of Ramsay’s death, but let’s just say you won’t be looking to eat anytime soon after watching Ramsay’s demise. That, and Ramsay’s dogs won’t need to be fed for a while. If you really must see it, you can find it on YouTube.
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In any case, we digress. The reason we liken Nikita Kucherov to Jon Snow is simple. In the beginning, he was not the first person you would look to when it comes to saving the day for the Tampa Bay Lightning; however, in the 2016-17 season, this is exactly what happened.
Kucherov probably won’t be leading an army of Wildlings into battle or beating the life out of an enemy anytime soon; however, when the team needed someone to come in and save the day, Kucherov was the right person for the job. The same can be said when it was time to reclaim Winterfell for the Stark family.
Hopefully, when Game of Thrones debuts later tonight, Jon will not be set on a path to meet the same fate as the other males in his family. At the same time, hopefully, Nikita Kucherov will have a fair amount of help putting the puck in the back of the net this season. If the Lightning can stay healthy, the team has a fairly good chance of making another solid run at the Stanley Cup.
Chris Kunitz – Cersei Lannister
Tampa Bay Lightning fans received a bit of a shock towards the beginning of the Free Agency Period. Many believed Lightning Vice President and General Manager Steve Yzerman would be on the lookout for a sturdy defenseman to shore up some of the holes in the Lightning’s defensive line.
Surprisingly enough, while the defense was a part of the plan, a new offensive talent would take center stage. On July 1, the very first day of the Free Agency Period, the Tampa Bay Lightning would come to terms with former Pittsburgh Penguins winger Chris Kunitz.
Having no love for the Penguins ourselves, we were taken aback by the signing; however, it is hard to deny the man is talented. After all, Chris Kunitz has his name on Lord Stanley’s Cup not once, not twice, but four times. Kunitz’ first Cup victory came as a member of the Anaheim Ducks. The next three victories would come as a member of the Penguins.
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Oh, and did we forget to mention he was a member of the Team Canada roster which captured the Gold Medal at the 2014 Winter Olympic Games in Sochi, Russia?
Kunitz may not be a flashy goal scorer like Steven Stamkos or Nikita Kucherov; however, he does have an innate ability to make plays happen. When you really take a closer look at Kunitz and his on-ice play, you will quickly come to the conclusion is moves are calculated and made with a purpose.
There are more than a few of his actions which could be considered as questionable, but (as much as this pains us to say) it is hard to question his success. This is the driving force behind the character comparison we have drawn between Kunitz and his respective Game of Thrones character.
We have likened Kunitz to Cersei Lannister. While her time as Queen was incredibly limited thanks to the untimely death of her husband Robert Baratheon and the quick ascension of her son Joffrey to the throne, she still holds quite a bit of power with the Seven Kingdoms.
Cersei had made a lot of questionable decisions in her life. You know, like blowing up an entire building full of people with the sole intention of settling a vendetta and solidifying her place at the top of the hierarchy in the Kingdom. Despite her shortcomings (a.k.a. her psychotic and narcissistic nature), Cersei has risen to the level she is today through careful planning, a cunning wit, and a simple need to get what she wants.
The same thing can be said about Chris Kunitz. While he may have made some questionable decisions in his rise through the ranks of the NHL, the names on the Stanley Cup don’t lie. Kunitz has what it takes to achieve greatness.
Will the success Kunitz has seen in the past translate to success for the Tampa Bay Lightning? This is yet to be seen. As painful as it is for this particular Lightning fan to admit, the signing of Chris Kunitz was a good thing for the Bolts. Hopefully, Kunitz will play a defined role in a potential Cup run for the Bolts in 2018.
Cedric Paquette – Tyrion Lannister
Cedric Paquette has a unique role on the Tampa Bay Lightning. He is definitely not the flashy goal-scorer like Steven Stamkos and Nikita Kucherov. He’s also not the most defensively-minded offensive player you have ever seen take the ice; however, he does play a certain role on the team not filled by very many.
The 23-year-old forward plays a multifaceted role which earns him quite a bit of time in the sin bin. Paquette is both an instigator and a fighter. Despite on the light side when it comes to other scrappers in the league, Cedric Paquette has never been one to back down from a challenge. Just ask Boston Bruins captain Zdeno Chara. Paquette’s run-in with Chara is hard to forget.
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It is for this reason we have likened the Canadian forward to Game of Thrones character Tyrion Lannister. As anyone who has seen the show knows, Tyrion Lannister is the dwarf of the Lannister family. Despite his small stature and all the ridicule he’s received because of it, Tyrion has always done well for himself, whether it be financial, politically, offensively, or even with the ladies.
Tyrion is also a tremendous instigator. While Tyrion is not exactly the kind of man to jump head first into a fight, he knows just how to push the right buttons and plant the right seeds to accomplish his goals without having to lift a finger.
Granted, Paquette has to lift more than a finger once the gloves have dropped, but at the same time, he shares a lot of the same cunning nature, quick wit, and instigative nature needed to accomplish the goals he sets out to achieve.
Unlike Tyrion, who is currently on a pretty clear path heading into the Seventh Season of the series, Paquette’s future with the Tampa Bay Lightning isn’t quite as certain.
At the conclusion of the 2017-18 season, Paquette is set to become a Restricted Free Agent. There is no denying there has been a shift in the landscape of the team as of late. A lot can happen over the course of the season, and the outcome of said season will have a huge impact on the shape the roster takes during the off-season. It’ll most certainly be interesting to see how things play out in the end.
Victor Hedman – Khal Drogo
From the moment he was drafted by the team in the First Round (Second Overall) in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft, Tampa Bay Lightning fans knew there was something special about defenseman Victor Hedman. Hedman had both the size and the skill to be a solid defenseman in the National Hockey League.
While it may have taken a couple of seasons for Hedman to truly find his place in the Lightning lineup, he has definitely transformed into the driving force behind the Tampa Bay Lightning’s defense. That being said, there was a definite turning point in his career where his aforementioned transformation began.
Surprisingly enough, the NHL Lockout during the 2012-13 season proved to be the best thing that possibly could’ve happened to the now-26-year-old Lightning defenseman. During the lockout, Hedman went to the KHL to play for Barys Astana. We’re not sure what happened to Hedman during his time in the KHL, but it definitely changed Hedman’s career for the better.
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Ever since returning from the KHL, Hedman has been, hands down, the best offensive defenseman on the team. In the 2016-17 season, Victor Hedman reached a career high in offensive production.
In the 79 games he played with the Bolts last season, Hedman brought home 16 goals and a whopping 56 assists for a total of 72 points. Hedman led all Lightning defenseman in offensive production and finished in second place on the team in overall points.
In addition to his team records, Hedman finished in fourth place in the league in assists, topped only by Edmonton Oilers forward Connor McDavid, Washington Capitals forward Nicklas Backstrom, and Anaheim Ducks forward Ryan Getzlaf, respectively.
It is for these reasons; we have chosen to liken Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman to Games of Thrones resident badass, Khal Drogo. When we first meet Khal Drogo, we are impressed by his size and stature; however, we know little of his skill on the battlefield.
However, it isn’t long before fans realize Khal Drogo is not someone to be trifled with. If you mess with his people, or more specifically his bride or his unborn child, you will incur a wrath unlike any other seen in the realm. Still don’t believe me…here’s a look at what Khal Drogo did to his bride’s brother Viserys.
In addition to his fiery passion, Khal Drogo is hailed as one of the most skilled warriors in the realm. If there is any player on the Lightning roster who fits this bill, it is Lightning defenseman, Victor Hedman.
The good news is, the Tampa Bay Lightning will have this particular warrior in their army for quite some time. Only July 1, 2016, the Lightning came to terms with Hedman on an eight-year contract extension which will see Hedman in Lightning blue until the conclusion of the 2024-25 season.
We don’t know about you, but this is certainly music to the ears of those of us here at Bolts By The Bay.
Andrei Vasilevskiy – Syrio Forel, The First Sword of Braavos
When you first glance at Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy, you are not immediately overcome by fear. This may have a lot to do with his youthful look at his boyish charm. However, the thing that makes him a worthy adversary is what lies beneath the surface.
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While Vasilevskiy was dealt the short end of the stick last season, for reasons too numerous to mention, he was still able to emerge from the ashes of the Lightning’s season with a winning record. In the 50 games he played in last season Vasilevskiy maintained a 23-17-7 record with a Goals Allowed Average of 2.61 and a Save Percentage of .917,
At the end of the day, the goaltender’s sole job is to keep the puck out of the back of the net. The netminder serves as the absolute last line of defense between the opponent and the back of the net. A split-second decision could be the difference between victory and defeat.
The same thing can be said about a swordsman. Each move of their weapon could very well be their last should their decision turn out to be the wrong move. It is because of this we have likened Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy to the Game of Thrones character Syrio Forel, the First Sword of Braavos.
In the first season of the series, Syrio Forel is tasked by Ned Stark to instruct his daughter Arya in the ways of the sword. At first, Arya isn’t the ideal pupil, but after working with Forel for some time, she proves to be a fair adversary. It is Forel who teaches Arya one of the most important lessons she will ever come to know. What do you say to death?
If you could like to see a more in-depth, high definition version of the interaction between Syrio and Arya, you can do so on YouTube.
So…what do you say to death when it comes calling? Not today. This same theory can be applied to a goaltender as well. As we said before, their one and only mission is to keep the puck out of the back of the net, and from time to time, do it with exquisite style. It would be very reasonable for Vasilevskiy to look his opponent in the eye and utter the words, “Not today.”
The true test of Vasilevskiy’s skill will come when the 2017-18 season opens up on October 6 at the Amalie Arena as the Bolts face off with the Florida Panthers. Now that Vasilevskiy has been awarded the top spot in between the pipes, he will bear the bulk of the responsibility in net. We here at Bolts By The Bay can’t wait to see how the season plays out with Vasy in net.
As you can tell, we have only tackled a portion of the roster at this particular point and time. The good news is, there will be plenty of time for us to tackle the other players on the roster who didn’t get the Game of Thrones treatment this time around.
Next: Tampa Bay Lightning: Grading the Dan Girardi Signing
So…now that you’ve had the opportunity to look over our selections, what do you think? Who was a hit? Who was a miss? Of the players not covered in this article, who would you compare them to in Game of Thrones? Maybe, just maybe, we’ll take a stab at the other players on the roster when the Game of Thrones Season Finale airs at the end of August. You’ll have to check back to find out!