Bolts by the Bay
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How do the Lightning rank against other leagues expansion teams?

By Danny Bennett

TAMPA, FLORIDA - SEPTEMBER 30: Ex-NHL head coach Phil Esposito speaks during the 2020 Stanley Cup Champion rally on September 30, 2020 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Douglas P. DeFelice/Getty Images)
TAMPA, FLORIDA - SEPTEMBER 30: Ex-NHL head coach Phil Esposito speaks during the 2020 Stanley Cup Champion rally on September 30, 2020 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Douglas P. DeFelice/Getty Images) /
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INGLEWOOD, CA – JANUARY 6: Wayne Gretzky #99 of the Los Angeles Kings passes during an NHL game against the Tampa Bay Lightning on January 6, 1993 at the Great Western Forum in Inglewood, California. (Photo by Gary Newkirk/Getty Images)
INGLEWOOD, CA – JANUARY 6: Wayne Gretzky #99 of the Los Angeles Kings passes during an NHL game against the Tampa Bay Lightning on January 6, 1993 at the Great Western Forum in Inglewood, California. (Photo by Gary Newkirk/Getty Images) /
  • Wins: 985
  • Losses: 947
  • Ties: 112
  • OTL: 150
  • Points: 2232
  • Playoff Appearances: 13
  • Conference Championships: 4
  • Championships: 3

A few teams from the NHL are missing from the list, like the Carolina Hurricanes, which are not expansion teams even though their name is newer; 1998, for example, with the Hurricanes. Clubs that have relocated from one city to another, the Ravens are still the exception, are not “expansion teams” in their true form.

The final tallies for the Lightning put them atop the list for championships, at three, with the Ravens and Marlins trailing with two. The Lightning currently has just 38 more wins than losses, which shows the team’s struggles in their 29 seasons. Conversely, the three championships also display the front office making the right decisions to turn the franchise around, having made it to the Stanley Cup Final four times since 2003-04.

Rest assured, Lightning fans, not only has the Stanley Cup trophy taken residence in Tampa for two straight seasons, the city of Tampa is home to the best expansion team in all of sports since the Bolts entered the NHL.

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