After a tightly fought seven-game series in which neither team was able to win consecutive games, Fredrik Modin notched the winning goal of the seventh and deciding game, earning the Eastern Conference championship for the Lightning and their first-ever berth in the Stanley Cup Finals. [20] Additionally, former Conn Smythe Trophy winner Brad Richards and goaltender Johan Holmqvist were traded to the Dallas Stars in exchange for goaltender Mike Smith and forwards Jussi Jokinen and Jeff Halpern, as well as a fourth-round draft pick in 2009. In May 2010, Vinik hired Steve Yzerman away from the Detroit Red Wings front office to be the new GM, signing him to a five-year contract. Early in the 1998–99 season, the Lightning lost ten games in a row, all but ending any chance of making the playoffs. They also darkened their shades of blue that season from a royal blue to a speed (Indy) blue. Over 3 million monthly readers now come to THW for their hockey fix. He stated, "I miss not having a dog in the fight. Another showing of the team's poor play was the difference from the previous season's success in the overtime/shootout periods. However, Tampa Bay was eliminated in the first round, losing to the Montreal Canadiens in a four-game sweep. [38], On March 6, 2014, Steven Stamkos was named Tampa Bay's tenth captain in franchise history in his first game back after recovering from his tibia injury. Though Demers had presided over the resurgence of the Detroit Red Wings in the 1980s and helmed a Stanley Cup run with the Montreal Canadiens in 1993, he was unable to change the team's fortunes and the Lightning ended up losing 55 games. Lightning GM Steve Yzerman announced after the game that the captain would miss one-to-three months due to a blood clot in his arm. The studio host is Paul Kennedy. The 2001–02 season, Tortorella's first full year behind the bench, saw some improvement. Wilson immediately fired Demers, who despite his best efforts (and fatherly attitude toward Lecavalier) was unable to overcome the damage from the Kokusai Green ownership. With the sixth pick of the 2010 NHL Entry Draft, the Lightning selected forward Brett Connolly despite a history of injuries while playing for the Western Hockey League (WHL)'s Prince George Cougars. They lost captain Steven Stamkos to injury once again, as he underwent surgery to repair a core muscle in March. Williams was widely seen as being in over his head and was an easy target for ridicule from his fellow NHL owners, who called him "Jed Clampett" behind his back due to his thick Southern accent and fundamentalist Christian views. It retained the "BOLTS" wordmark, while adding white accents in a similar manner as the Los Angeles Kings' sweaters. On March 4, veterans Mark Recchi and Olaf Kolzig were traded by the Tampa Bay Lightning to the Boston Bruins and Toronto Maple Leafs, respectively. Phil Esposito installed himself as president and general manager, while Tony became chief scout. This was the largest crowd for an NHL game, a record that stood until the 2003 Heritage Classic in Edmonton. [61] He scored a goal on what was his only shot on goal of the series, as he did not take to the ice again following the end of the first period. Nearing the end of a dismal 18–26–4 season for 40 points, in which the Lightning ended fourth in the Southeast and 14th in the East, GM Steve Yzerman looked to their highly-successful American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Syracuse Crunch. After losing Game 4 at home in the second overtime period, they fell behind in the series one game to three. Following the late-season collapse, Vinik cleaned house, firing both head coach Rick Tocchet and GM Brian Lawton on April 12, 2010, one day after the season ended.[29]. [70] The new logo, as well as the new home and away jerseys, were unveiled by the team at a press conference at the St. Pete Times Forum on January 31, 2011. The Lightning television broadcasts can be seen on Bally Sports Sun. They finished with a record of 36–25–16 for 93 points, breaking the 90-point barrier for the first time in team history. The Lightning struggled to maintain success during the 2007–08 campaign. The Lightning were active during the trade deadline, similar to the previous season. A third sweater was not used during all of 2017–18 and much of the 2018–19 season. And then another 37 playoff games played. Tampa Bay did, however, win both game three and four to take a 3–1 series lead. Despite finishing with 46 wins and 97 points, the Lightning had a very slow start to the 2015–16 season. [59] After advancing, the remainder of the Lightning's playoff run took place in Edmonton, which had been planned as the site of both of the Conference Finals and the Stanley Cup Finals. Steve Yzerman would then announce on June 29 the team re-signed Stamkos to an eight-year, cap-friendly deal. Individually, Steven Stamkos scored a franchise-record 60 goals. Yzerman then hired Guy Boucher away from the Montreal Canadiens organization to succeed Tocchet as the head coach two weeks later. The Lightning not only became the first team to defeat the Rangers in a Game 7 at Madison Square Garden, but they also became the first team to successfully defeat three Original Six teams in the first three rounds of the playoffs. The 2019–20 Tampa Bay Lightning season was the 28th season for the National Hockey League (NHL) franchise that was established on December 16, 1991. Left winger J. T. Miller was traded to the Vancouver Canucks. However, Taylor announced that he was not completely stepping away from the team broadcasts. Figures are updated after each completed NHL regular season. The Lightning acquired top round picks Matt Lashoff and Martins Karsums from the Bruins. Throughout the season, the Lightning battled the Washington Capitals for first place in the Southeast Division. The Lightning re-signed centers Cedric Paquette and Brayden Point to two and three-year contracts, respectively. Esposito was forced into several trades just to keep the team above water. [58] In the Second Round, the Lightning faced the Boston Bruins. The series went the full seven games, though the Lightning were eliminated by a single goal, as the game was lost (0–1). January and February were far better months for the team, going 9–4–0 in January and 9–2–2 in February, driving them back into the playoff race. The numbers are featured on the back and sleeves only, using white lettering. The team's financial situation was a considerable concern to NHL officials; rumors surfaced that the NHL was seriously considering taking control of the team if Okubo failed to find a buyer by the summer of 1998. [66], On August 11, 2015, Fox Sports Sun, the regional television home of the Lightning, announced Brian Engblom as Taylor's replacement on color commentary for the 2015–16 season. Note: Pos = Position; GP = Games Played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; P/G = Points per game; * = current Lightning player, Lester B. Pearson Award/Ted Lindsay Award, Jim Gregory General Manager of the Year Award, National Hockey League team in Tampa, Florida, The primary (left) and alternate logos (right) used by the team from 1992 to 2007. This was, at the time, one of the best-ever showings by an NHL expansion team. The Lightning were the worst team on the road in the NHL, winning only 11 games. The latest stats, facts, news and notes on Victor Hedman of the Tampa Bay Lightning The situation led longtime NHL broadcaster and writer Stan Fischler to call the Lightning a "skating vaudeville show."[12]. The PA Announcer is Paul Porter. Get the latest hockey news, scores and analysis for the Tampa Bay Lightning and the NHL from the Tampa Bay Times. The team is owned by Jeffrey Vinik, while Julien BriseBois serves as general manager. Updated hourly with news and features from over 150 writers worldwide. He's slated to miss the rest of the regular season, but could be back in time for the playoffs. Yzerman's first off-season with Tampa Bay began with a splash. Vincent Lecavalier suffered a dislocated shoulder as the result of an open-ice hit from Matt Cooke of the Washington Capitals in the game before the season finale in Atlanta. Terry Crisp, who played for the Philadelphia Flyers when they won two Stanley Cups in the mid-1970s and coached the Calgary Flames to a Stanley Cup in 1989, was tapped as the first head coach. Tampa Bay won the sixth game of the series to eliminate the Canadiens and advance to the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 2011, facing the New York Rangers. 4", "Lightning to retire Martin St. Louis' No. [62] They also became the first team in league history to have three series-winning goals in overtime. The Lightning made some minor tweaks to their current uniform set following the NHL's move to Adidas as its uniform provider in the 2017–18 season. With only 84 points, they fell short of reaching the playoffs, ending the season third in the Southeast Division and tenth in the Eastern Conference. In the 2017–18 season, Steven Stamkos returned from injury, scoring 20 points in the first 10 games and assisting on nine of Nikita Kucherov's 11. On February 13, 2008, it was announced that Palace Sports & Entertainment had agreed to sell the Lightning to OK Hockey LLC, a group headed by Oren Koules, a producer of the Saw horror movies, and Len Barrie, a former NHL player and real estate developer. Prospects News & Rumors: Holloway, Raymond & Goncalves, NHL Rumors: Maple Leafs, Flyers, Canucks, Lightning, Stars, Lightning Need Savard to Play Like It’s 2019, Lightning’s Vasilevskiy Should Be a Hart Trophy Finalist, Tampa Bay Lightning That Got Away: Carter Verhaeghe, Blue Jackets’ David Savard: A Master Class in Professionalism, Lightning Break the Bank As BriseBois Stays Aggressive At Deadline, Lightning Acquire Defenseman David Savard, 3 Impossible Trades the Lightning Would Love to Make, Lightning Road to Cup Repeat Must Start With Winning the Division, Lightning Have No Options at Trade Deadline With Expansion Draft Ahead, CHL Needs to Consider Extended Eligibility, Edmonton’s Hockey Great Ace Bailey Remembered With Tribute From Oil Kings & Grandson, Blackhawks’ Special Teams Force Series Split Against Red Wings, Rangers News & Rumors: Buchnevich, Shesterkin, Panarin & More, Red Savage – 2021 NHL Draft Prospect Profile, Kraken Will Be in Good Hands With a Seattle Fan Base, Maple Leafs Add Character, Leadership & More With Foligno Trade, Jets Get Steal of a Deal With Lowry Extension, Wild Roster Has Guerin’s Confidence for a Playoffs Run, 5 Oilers Tippett Likely Won’t Use As 2020-21 Playoffs Near, Blackhawks Banter: Scouting Reports, Missed Deals, New Fans & More, Canadiens: Odds That Each Pending UFA Gets a Contract Extension, Canadiens Starting Caufield in Laval Was the Right Move. Perhaps the lone bright spot in the season was Lecavalier's winning both the King Clancy Memorial Trophy and the NHL Foundation Player Award for work through his foundation, including a $3 million pledge to All Children's Hospital in St. Petersburg, Florida, for what would become the Vincent Lecavalier Pediatric Cancer and Blood Disorders Center at All Children's Hospital. Wed, Dec 23, 2020: Hip: Kucherov is starting to skate again, according to Eduardo A. Encina of The Tampa Bay Times. They also signed defenseman Dan Girardi for two years and winger Chris Kunitz to a one-year deal. Even with a wholesale transfer of talent from Detroit to Tampa (a move that eventually doomed the Vipers, which folded along with the IHL in 2001), the Lightning lost 54 games in 1999–2000 and 52 in 2000–01, becoming the first team in NHL history to post four straight 50-loss seasons. Tampa Bay went up against the Boston Bruins in the Eastern Conference Finals. The team shot to the top of the Campbell Conference's Norris Division within a month, behind Kontos' initial torrid scoring pace and a breakout season by forward Brian Bradley. One notable example would be the Jonathan Drouin for Mikhail Sergachev…, More Lightning News, Opinion and Archives. Backup goaltender Louis Domingue was dealt to the New Jersey Devils for a conditional seventh-round draft pick in 2021. Tampa Bay eliminated the Detroit Red Wings in seven games in the first round of the playoffs before facing Montreal in the second round. Although William Davidson, longtime owner of the Detroit Pistons of the National Basketball Association (NBA), was thought to be the frontrunner, the buyer turned out to be insurance tycoon and motivational speaker Art Williams, who previously owned the Birmingham Barracudas of the Canadian Football League (CFL). They shocked the visiting Chicago Blackhawks 7–3 with four goals by little-known Chris Kontos. [26] Frustrated at interference in the team's hockey operations by Barrie and Koules, seven days later, Jay Feaster resigned as general manager, despite having three years remaining on his contract. [36], In January, GM Steve Yzerman, who also served as the general manager for Canada's team at the 2014 Winter Olympics, elected not to name Lightning captain Martin St. Louis to Canada's roster, instead choosing the still-injured Stamkos. Initially, the colors that were to be used were simply blue and white, but by popular demand, black was later added as a trim color on the numbers. [17] Khabibulin recorded a shut out at the NHL All-Star Game but was not named its MVP, by all accounts due to the game's voting protocol. On paper, it looked like the Karmanos/Rutherford group was better financed, but it wanted to pay only $29 million before starting play. The Lightning then debuted a new "alternate" or "third" jersey in the 2008–09 season. 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