Lightning honor Stamkos with 'emotional' tribute

TAMPA — Tampa Bay Lightning coach Jon Cooper stared up on the Jumbotron as an emotional tribute video highlighted Steven Stamkos‘s 16 years with the franchise.

Close to the opposing bench stood Stamkos, now a member of the Nashville Predators, returning to Tampa for the primary time in one other uniform.

“I used to be enthusiastic about how comfortable I’ve gone in my elder years. I simply begin welling up,” mentioned Cooper on Monday evening, after his crew’s 3-2 extra time win. “How do you match 16 years right into a two-minute video? It virtually would not really feel proper. It was extraordinarily effectively completed. However ultimately, it would not matter how effectively you do it. You may by no means do it justice.”

Stamkos is the Lightnings’ all-time chief in video games (1,082), objectives (555) and factors (1,137). He is a celebrity who grew the game in Tampa and was a fixture in the neighborhood.

However Stamkos, 34, and the Lightning parted methods after final season once they could not come to phrases on a brand new contract, after an deadlock that was each public and contentious. The Tampa Bay captain signed a four-year, $32-million contract with the Predators. The Lightning would change Stamkos on their high line with free-agent winger Jake Guentzel, who’s 4 years his junior.

Monday evening provided Stamkos his first likelihood to reconnect with Lightning followers since leaving for Nashville.

“I do not suppose it is goodbye. I feel it is extra of a ‘thanks, so long’ kind of factor,” he mentioned after the sport. “It was fairly emotional. You see the place all of it started as an 18-year-old child. The place I grew up from a boy to a person and a Stanley Cup champion. A husband, a father, a son. Most of my life has been right here.”

Followers roared as Stamkos skated out for warmups, as indicators in help of the previous Lightning star papered the glass. A couple of followers had messages important of Tampa Bay administration for not getting a cope with Stamkos completed. However most took the second to rejoice his accomplishments with the crew.

Stamkos mentioned there was a comfortability being again at Amalie Enviornment, albeit in a unique locker room. Nevertheless it was surreal to have long-time pals turn out to be his on-ice enemies.

“It is bizarre. I’ve dinner with a number of the guys final evening and it is like I by no means left, proper? That is simply the bond that you’ve. And then you definately get on the ice, there’s the aggressive nature in each side that comes out, so there’s not a lot chitchat. You then see one another proper after the sport and it is like we have been simply again to final evening,” he mentioned. “So that is the lifetime of an athlete. It is cliche that there is no pals on the ice, and also you’re clearly not seeking to kill anybody on the market, however you wish to win simply as dangerous as they wish to win.”

Round seven minutes into the primary interval, the scoreboard lit up with images of a younger Stamkos in his hockey gear. Lightning followers rose to their toes because the tribute started: a two minute montage of Stamkos’s journey from No. 1 total choose in 2008 by means of Tampa Bay’s 4 convention titles and two Stanley Cup championships with Stamkos as their captain.

The digital scoreboards across the rink lit up along with his profession stats, his awards and accomplishments, the slogan “Ceaselessly 91” and thanks messages. On the conclusion of the video, the spotlights hit Stamkos, who skated from the Predators’ bench —where Nashville gamers have been engrossed by the video tribute — to the center of the rink, elevating his follow the followers as the sector projected his No. 91 on the ice, as has turn out to be custom when former Lightning stars return to Tampa on new groups.

When play started once more, Lightning followers loudly chanted “Steven Stamkos” in honor of their former captain.

“It was fairly cool when the gang began chanting his title,” mentioned defenseman Victor Hedman, one among Stamkos’ closest pals on the Lightning. “After which they cheered when he acquired these two [assists].”

Stamkos helped the Predators lastly hit the scoreboard within the second interval after the Lightning constructed a 2-0 lead on objectives by Brayden Point and Mitchell Chaffee within the first interval. Ryan O’Reilly scored a power-play purpose with Stamkos getting the secondary help — simply his second level in 9 video games with the Predators. The Tampa followers went from booing the announcement of the purpose to cheering Stamkos’s title for having helped create it.

The cheers have been a bit extra muted when Stamkos arrange the game-tying purpose by Gustav Nyquist simply over eight minutes later for his third level on the season, though many Lightning followers nonetheless cheered loudly when his title was introduced. The one boos Stamkos obtained throughout the recreation was in extra time, when the Predators patiently managed the puck moderately than attacking offensively.

Tampa Bay gained the sport on Nick Paul’s OT winner.

“Clearly a reasonably bizarre, fairly emotional evening. However as soon as the tribute occurred, you sort of settle into the sport and then you definately concentrate on what it’s worthwhile to do to assist your crew win,” mentioned Stamkos. “And it simply got here up a bit brief tonight.”

The evening offered the followers the possibility to indicate their appreciation for Stamkos. However the Predators ahead admitted that he cannot fairly flip the web page on his time in Tampa and his departure from the Lightning.

“I do not know when that second comes. If it comes. If it would not come. While you’re on this place for thus lengthy and have the recollections, I imply, I do not suppose you’ll be able to ever actually utterly flip the web page. That is most likely the fact,” he mentioned. “I dunno. We’ll see. I am going to let you realize if that day comes, however I do not suppose you utterly flip the web page.”