Tampa Bay Lightning - National Hockey League
Love me some Lightning / Lightning Supporter
Love me some Lightning / Lightning Supporter
Love me some Lightning / Lightning Supporter
Before I came to love the Panthers, the Lightning were the first team ever founded in the state of Florida. Born on December 6, 1990, the Tampa Bay Lightning became a franchise. Fell in love with them instantly but came to crutch on them more after my father died in 1992. Following the Lighting that first season helped me deal with the gr
Before I came to love the Panthers, the Lightning were the first team ever founded in the state of Florida. Born on December 6, 1990, the Tampa Bay Lightning became a franchise. Fell in love with them instantly but came to crutch on them more after my father died in 1992. Following the Lighting that first season helped me deal with the grief of his sudden passing.
You can say that I've been on this bandwagon since the first game this team played in October 1992.
Stanley Cup Final Appearances
Love me some Lightning / Lightning Supporter
Love me some Lightning / Lightning Supporter
Tampa Bay has been to 5 Stanley Cup Finals in their existence. They went for the first time in 2004, beating Calgary in seven games. They went back in 2015, but fell to Chicago. Then came the 2020 Covid-altered season where the Lightning returned to the Stanley Cup Final and defeated Dallas in Edmonton. All games were played in Edmonton
Tampa Bay has been to 5 Stanley Cup Finals in their existence. They went for the first time in 2004, beating Calgary in seven games. They went back in 2015, but fell to Chicago. Then came the 2020 Covid-altered season where the Lightning returned to the Stanley Cup Final and defeated Dallas in Edmonton. All games were played in Edmonton due to the Covid-bubble that year.
Tampa Bay went back a year later and defeated Montreal in 2021. However, they were denied three in a row when they fell to Colorado in 2022.
Games attended
Love me some Lightning / Lightning Supporter
Games attended
Growing up in Houston, didn't have a chance to attend games until I moved back to Florida in 1996. Since moving to Arizona, I have had the chance to attend a few Lightning games out here but now that the team in Phoenix is gone it's back to ESPN Plus for streaming.
Been to games in Tampa and Phoenix.
Stanley Cup championships
2004
Tampa Bay defeated Calgary 4-3 to capture their first Stanley Cup championship in franchise history. Calgary won the first game, but Tampa Bay rallied in the series and won a thrilling Game 7, 2-1 to secure their first title. This came on the heels of Tampa Bay winning Super Bowl XXXVII just 18 months earlier as the city was starting to become "Champa Bay."
2020
Tampa Bay defeated Dallas in the Covid-bubble in Edmonton in 6 games, all games being played at the Rogers Centre due to Covid. Tampa Bay lost the first game, but rallied to win three straight before closing out the series in 6 games. Tampa Bay defeated Dallas in Game 6, 2-0 to secure their second title in franchise history. This victory came a month before the Tampa Bay Rays went to the 2020 World Series and four months before the Tampa Bay Buccaneers went to Super Bowl LV. So again, it was now "Champa Bay."
2021
Tampa Bay defeated Montreal in five games, this time winning their first ever Game 1. Due to the Covid realignment, no conferences and two Eastern Conference teams played in the Cup Final. Tampa Bay won the first three games of the series, then won a 1-0 thriller in Game 5 to secure their second straight Stanley Cup championship and third in franchise history.
With Tampa Bay's win over Kansas City in Super Bowl LV, the city had three professional sports championships within less than one calendar year. Yeah, the city of Tampa was the City of Champions during the early part of the Roaring 20's.
