I'm Canadian. Grew up a Steve Yzerman fan. I've been to Florida and Tampa Bay once in my life, but it was before I became a fan (somewhere around 2011).
Yzerman retired right when I left for college, and I didn't have much time to follow hockey. So I went 4 or 5 or 6 or 7 years barely watching. When I came back, the Wings team had drastically changed, and I didn't really have a "connection" with them. Meanwhile, down in TB, Steve Yzerman was building a fast young team, and I just found myself watching TB games with more emotion than I watched Wings games. I loved that we kind of sucked in those early years, but you could see how bright the future was, so it felt like getting in on the ground floor. I think the most anxious I've EVER been for a hockey series was the year we got swept by Montreal.
Love this forum, and the discussions/arguments we have. Sometimes I feel like an honorary Tampa Bay...ian?