Tampa Bay Lightning: Top Martin St. Louis moments
By Lane Fahey
The Tampa Bay Lightning’s own number 26, Martin St.Louis, is going to the Hockey Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2018.
The Tampa Bay Lightning has gained another Hall of Famer. One year after former Lightning captain Dave Andreychuk was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame, another Lightning captain will be joining Andreychuk.
Former Lightning captain Martin St.Louis has been named to the Hall of Fame Class of 2018. This the first year of eligibility for the Stanley Cup Champion.
St.Louis has a story unlike no other for his road to the Hall of Fame. Undrafted, St.Louis signed a contract in 1998 with the Calgary Flames. After a few seasons with the Flames, St.Louis decided to take a chance with the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Slowly but surely, St.Louis worked his way up the Bolts roster and began to shine. In 13 seasons with the Bolts, St. Louis notched 953 points, a franchise record. St.Louis also has franchise records in assists, shorthanded goals, overtime scoring, power-play points and game-winning goals.
Despite not ending his career in Tampa, St.Louis had plenty to celebrate in his 13 years with the Bolts. A six-time All-Star, the winger has a good bit of hardware under his sleeves. St.Louis has been awarded the Art Ross Trophy twice, the Ted Lindsay Award, the Hart Memorial Trophy, and the Lady Byng Trophy three times. Oh, and you can not forget that he is a Stanley Cup Champion.
With all of his awards, St.Louis was also elected as captain of the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2013, the ninth captain in franchise history. That same season, St.Louis played his 1,000th game, an honor not many players get to experience. Only 16 undrafted players at the time of his 1,000th game had reached that milestone.
St.Louis’ highlights go on and on to mark an incredible career for an underdog in the league. He will always be remembered in Bolts Nation, and now will be honored across the National Hockey League. These are just a few of St.Louis’ best moments as a Bolt.