TAMPA, Fla. — It's been a long time since the Tampa Bay Lightning first debuted in the National Hockey League. Specifically, the Lightning will start their 30th NHL season when the puck drops Tuesday night.
The team’s origin started back in the late 1980’s with the idea of adding an expansion franchise in Tampa. The naysayers rolled their eyes at the thought of NHL quality hockey being played in Tampa Bay. But, three decades later, the Lightning is one of the most respected franchises in all sports.
So how did we get here?
It all started when a group led by NHL Hall of Famer Phil Esposito was awarded a franchise by the NHL. The Lightning played their first season during the 1992-1993 campaign. But the team wasn't an instant winner.
The team only made the playoffs twice in their first 11 seasons. Then, pardon the pun, lightning struck. The Lightning made a run to their first Stanley Cup during the 2003-2004 season. The Stanley Cup Finals saw the Lightning beat the Calgary Flames, bringing Lord Stanley home to the Bay Area.
Then in 2008, the team drafted captain Steven Stamkos with their first selection in the NHL draft. That was followed by defensemen Victor Hedman in the 2009 NHL draft, and that’s when the modern era of the Lightning began.
In the spring of 2010 Jeff Vinik purchased the team, promising a comprehensive transformation. Soon after, Steve Yzerman was hired as the general manager, and a few years later, the “Big Cat” Andrei Vasilevskiy was drafted as the 19th overall pick in the 2012 NHL Draft.
Then the Lightning finally made a return to the Stanley Cup Finals during the 2014-2015 season. They would ultimately fall to the Chicago Blackhawks in 6 games.
Then one year after being swept in the playoff by the Columbus Blue Jackets, coach Jon Copper’s team hoisted the Stanley Cup once again during the 2020 Pandemic season. The team spent 55 days in the bubble defeating the Dallas Stars.
The following season, the Lightning brought the Stanley Cup back to Tampa Bay, repeating as back-to-back champions. The Bolts went for a very rare three-peat in the spring but came up short, losing in the Stanley Cup Finals to the Colorado Avalanche.
As the Lightning begin their 30th season, they have three Stanley Cup championships in their trophy room and one of the most loyal fanbases in any sport.
After 30 years, the Bolts are arguably the flagship team in the Tampa Bay area, and only one other Florida professional team can match the Lightning's number of championships, the NBA's Miami Heat.
