In the current 2024-25 NHL season, the fans of the sport are greeted with a ton of epic performances. Indeed, many teams are showcasing their best performances, but some, such as the Tampa Bay Lightning, have slipped from the top spot. For a returning fan who has missed out on a few seasons, the state of this team might surprise them, as a few seasons ago, this particular franchise secured the Stanley Cup two times in a row, which was in 2020 and 2021.
The Lightning also made it to the 2022 finals, but they lost to the Colorado Avalanche. However, comparing the same team to their current state might surprise many in the community. With their future unclear in this campaign’s Stanley Cup playoffs, a certain former Lightning ice hockey star revealed the reason for their recent failures in the NHL.
Patrick Moore was featured in Episode 542 of Spittin’ Chiclets on YouTube. And as he spent four seasons with the Tampa Bay Lightning, he has witnessed them go from being a Stanley Cup-winning team to struggling to make it to the playoffs. Indeed, considering all the factors, he stressed one certain trade that was a major change from the team, which was none other than their former captain, Steven Stamkos.
The 34-year-old spent 16 seasons with the team from Tampa and was a cornerstone in their success. Indeed, under his captaincy, he led a brilliant team to the Cup for two years in a row. Similarly, mentioning these facts, Moore shared his thoughts on the team’s struggles, stating, “I mean, I think you have to bring a franchise player back. You have to make it work. I don’t know, obviously, you have a good relationship with Coop; you know Julien, but to me, at the end of the day, a player like that, a captain, a guy that’s been there, won two Stanley Cups for you, has every record in the organization. Like, you have to bring a guy like that back.”
Owing to his own NHL career, Moore understands the complexity of the trades in the league. He even has a good relationship with Tampa coach Jon Cooper and GM Julien BriseBois. However, at the end of the 2023-24 season, the decision that these people took for Stamkos was something that surprised him and the whole community, as he didn’t extend their captain’s contract.
“Uh, I just didn’t see why it didn’t happen. It’s unfortunate because, like, to me, I think a lot of those guys in that locker room wanted him back, and, um, it seemed like they wanted to go a different route, which, to me, I didn’t like that, but, you know, just being there in Tampa, you can see, you know, guys got really pissed off about it, so, um, it’s unfortunate,” said Moore. It’s simple; everyone in Tampa misses Stamkos. Indeed, he made a lot of contributions to the team.
Stamkos saw the Lightning more than a franchise. Indeed, he dedicated 16 seasons to them, and only when he wasn’t offered an extension in the final months of the 2023-24 season he had to make a tough choice to go to the Nashville Predators. However, did the team, where he gave so much effort, forget the moment he went to a new franchise?
The streets of Tampa will never forget Steven Stamkos
The departure of Steven Stamkos from the Tampa Bay Lightning to the Nashville Predators hurt many ice hockey fans more than a breakup. Indeed, he was present on the team since the year he was drafted into the NHL, which was back in 2008. And the moment he got into the rink during the 2008-09 season, he became a player to look forward to.
Indeed, in the coming years, he eventually became the captain of the Lightning, but no one expected that after the 2023-24 season, he would be receiving no contract extensions from the team. So, did he send any message to the franchise before his move? Obviously, he did. “I never thought I’d have to do one of these. It doesn’t quite feel real that I won’t be a Bolt this fall. But over the past few weeks, I’ve had this really deep sense of how lucky I was to be one for 16 years. So I just want to share some memories and say some thanks to everyone who has been a part of this journey,” said the former captain.
But did the Lightning respond with anything? Yes! When Stamkos came back to Tampa, he received a tribute from the team and got to do laps around the rink. Indeed, it was an emotional moment not only for the former captain but also for the crowd who came to watch Stamkos.
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