TEMPLE TERRACE, Fla — Laura Henderson wears many hats. But of all her titles, "Bolts superfan" is easily one of her favorites and it's one she takes pretty seriously.
Henderson has a running list of all the players she's ever fist-bumped and a room full of signed memorabilia. Her hockey love affair has also taken her to places like the airport to see the team off—and to the tattoo parlor where she's gotten not one but two-player signatures inked on her shoulder.
"[I] sat in the chair and he literally traced over the sharpie," she said.
And she's saving room for more on her upper right arm.
"I wanna get this covered in just the Stanley Cup," she said.
Some may call her crazy and Henderson said she's okay with that. But to truly understand her passion, you have to understand that another title she goes by is "survivor."
Henderson said she struggled with alcohol abuse and drug addiction after her father died by suicide.
"Drugs is what led to me being a target for traffickers actually and I got caught up in that life for many, many years until 2018," she said.
She is now three and a half years sober and said the Lightning has been a big part of her recovery.
"All the obstacles that have been put in their way, I feel like that's been my life story," she said.
Henderson said she expects nothing but success ahead for her and the Bolts, but as any true superfan would, she's also ditching the clothes she wore during game one...just in case.
"Now I'm gonna not wear that hat, not gonna wear that shirt," she said.
