Thank you to Stammer for all of his years representing this team we love with such class, grace, and skill. We were spoiled by having the best captain in the league, and that is why it feels there is such a gaping hole now.
I watched you get drafted, your first goal as a member of the Lightning, and unfortunately your last shift as a member of this team.
Lecavalier was my favorite player growing up, and Stamkos has been my son's.
From this hockey mom, I will forever be grateful that my son got your autograph on his jersey. That he will have that memory forever, that excitement of meeting his hero. He wanted to learn to play hockey as a 5 year old watching Stamkos on TV, and he now begs me to take him to practice and has passed the steps to join the U6/U8 league this fall a year later. He'll continue to wear his favorite player's jersey with pride as I still wear my Lecavalier jersey to home games.
Hopefully, he will be back with the Lightning in 4 years time (although that seems like a long time I know it will pass in the blink of an eye), and retire in the only jersey he ever should have worn, and then join the team in an official capacity in the front office as an ambassador to this team that never would have reached the heights it did without him.
So thank you Stamkos!