A Final Farewell to Steven Stamkos

Steven Stamkos on the ice for the Tampa Bay Lightning
Photo Credit: Mark LoMoglio/NHLI via Getty Images

Heart. Soul. A leader, both on and off the ice. An icon in the community. Steven Stamkos embodied all that it meant to be a Bolt.

In 2008, the Tampa Bay Lightning selected Stamkos first overall. Since then, he’s been one of the best players to don a Bolts jersey. He played over 1,000 games and recorded more than 1,100 points in 16 seasons.

On the power play, Stamkos posed an additional threat to opponents. His patented one-timer from the left side kept opponents guessing. With Nikita Kucherov, Brayden Point, and Victor Hedman on the ice with him, opposing teams had to pick their poison when it came to defending the Lightning.

Last season, Stamkos won the NHL’s Mark Messier Leadership Award for the work he’s done with the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Tampa Bay.

Who can forget all of the adversity Stamkos faced and, ultimately, overcame during his time with the Lightning?

Related Post: Tampa Bay Lightning Sign Depth Player

From breaking his tibia in November 2013 to watching his mentor, Martin St. Louis, request a trade to the New York Rangers in 2014, which led to him being named the franchise’s new captain, Stamkos took everything in stride.

A torn ligament in his knee cost him almost an entire season while a late season blood clot limited him to one playoff game in 2015-16’. A core muscle injury contributed to his only being able to play nearly three minutes during the 2020 postseason. In those three minutes, he scored the most iconic goal in team history. That galvanized his teammates who, in turn, went out and won the first of back-to-back Stanley Cups.

Two years later, Stamkos put up 19 points and was a plus-7 in helping the Lightning reach a third consecutive Stanley Cup Final. Unfortunately, they fell short of becoming a modern day dynasty, losing in six games to the Colorado Avalanche.

Sadly, the Lightning weren’t able to reach an agreement before the July 1 start of free agency. As a result, Stamkos left for Music City, signing a four-year deal with the Nashville Predators.

That left many Lightning fans, myself included, stunned and heartbroken. One of the Tampa Bay sports radio hosts said it best when he referred to July 1, 2024, as the darkest day in Tampa Bay sports history.

Putting that aside, thank you to Steven Stamkos for giving us 16 years of memories. Good luck with the Predators, and when the time comes for you to hang up the skates, we hope that you’ll retire as a Bolt. Until then, you’ll always be regarded as a hero in Tampa Bay.

ITR 37: Round Two Inside The Rink

Join Chris and Conrad as they see how they did on their first round predictions, along with laying out their second round thoughts. Picking winners for Round Two!
  1. ITR 37: Round Two
  2. ITR 36: Coaching Carousel
  3. ITR 35: Round One
  4. ITR 34: End Of The Road
  5. ITR 33: The Gr8 One

Discover more from Inside The Rink

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

Lauren Burg

Lauren Burg is a Tampa Bay Lightning writer for “Inside the Rink.” A lifelong Tampa Bay Area resident, she graduated from the University of South Florida’s world-renowned journalism program in December 2009. While in college, she discovered hockey and the Tampa Bay Lightning. She quickly became a passionate fan, attending many games over the years. She also experienced an All-Star game in 2018, numerous road games, and, most recently, the Bolts back-to-back Stanley Cup championships. Since graduating college, she’s been working hard to combine her two loves, writing and hockey, hoping to one day make that her full-time career. In her free time, she enjoys attending sporting events (both home & road when possible), taking photos, and traveling.

Leave a Reply

NHL Playoff Game Recap: Winnipeg Jets vs Dallas Stars Game One (05/07/2025)

Mikko Rantanen’s natural hat-trick was enough to push the Dallas Stars to a game one win against the Winnipeg Jets at Canada Life Centre on Wednesday night. Game Story The first period was a complete goaltending clinic as Connor Hellebuyck and Jake Oettinger stopped all golden chances that came towards them. The Jets had a […]

Read More

Winnipeg Jets Recall Parker Ford

The Winnipeg Jets have recalled forward Parker Ford from the Manitoba Moose earlier today. Ford last suited up for the Moose on February 16th as he’s been out with an injury since that time. The 24-year-old forward made his NHL debut earlier this season in Boston, where he scored his first career NHL goal against […]

Read More

ECHL: Atlanta Gladiators Promote Matt Ginn to Head Coach

The Atlanta Gladiators have officially promoted Matt Ginn to Head Coach, making him the seventh bench boss in franchise history. Ginn, who joined the team as Assistant Coach for the 2024–25 season, steps into the role following Derek Nesbitt’s transition to the front office as Director of Community Engagement. Ginn brings a deep familiarity with […]

Read More