A little over a quarter of a century ago, the lightning of Tampa Bay gave an undersized and unguins an opportunity. It would eventually change their franchise forever. The signing of Martin St. Louis, known to many in the hockey world as ‘Marty’, would surprise everyone by becoming a top player of his generation and eventually left an inheritance in the area of Tampa Bay.
Let’s see how an unlikely success story of one man contributed to creating the unlikely success story of hockey that flourishes in a non-traditional market.
An unlikely face of the franchise
Here is a small background story of how it all came about.
The subdivision that said it was unlikely that he would be the face of an NHL team is an understatement. Attract the attention of every organization was unbearable than pulling teeth. How long it is mentioned can vary an inch or two, but it is mentioned as 5-foot-8 on hockey pair. He was small and the unsigned free agent did not play his first NHL match up to 23 years. He made his NHL debut with the Calgary Flames during the 1998-99 season, the same season that the lightning set up his final partner in Crime, Vincent Lecavalier. After two seasons they continued from him.
He chose the lightning in a free desk in the hope of getting more playing time. The lightning came from a 19-47-9-7 finish in 1999-00. Everyone can help at that moment. Throw who on the ice and see who lingers.
In his first season with the team he had 18 goals and 22 assists for 40 points in 78 games. He followed that with 16 goals and 19 assists for 35 points in 53 games. He saw an improvement in the average production per season. He on average 0.51 points per match in 2000-01 and then 0.66 points per match in 2001-02.
Related: The Blockbuster Trade of De Lightning Relics for Blake Coleman again
If this had been the ceiling of St. Louis for what he could do in the NHL, that would still be a success. He had a place in the lower six of almost every NHL team, and that would have been nothing to spot. But he wasn’t ready. An outbreak was on hands.
He played all 82 games of the 2002-03 season and played 33 goals and 37 assists for 70 points. Suddenly he is top-six material and is called an all-star. He helped the lightning to reach the play -offs in team history for the second time. They finished first in the Southeast Division and reached the semi -final of the conference (second round).
The timing of a breakout could not be better with what was brewing in Tampa Bay. The following season, both he and the team took a huge leap forward. St. Louis was another All-Star, but this time he won the Art Ross Trophy (the prize that goes to the scoring champion in the NHL) with 94 points. He also took the heart trophy home (the MVP of the NHL) and finished fourth in Selke Trophy voices (the prize for the best defensive attacker).
As for lightning, they won their first Stanley Cup. He did not win the Conn Smythe, but St. Louis was a play -off hero against his former team, the Flames. Are Double-Overtime Purpose in Game 6 forced a game 7 that would eventually win lightning.
A franchise in disorder stood from the bottom the rankings with Little Star Power to Stanley Cup champions and having a future hockey hall from Famer in just a few years.
His recognitions for his impact on lightning (and NHL)
The prices of St. Louis have already been mentioned, but he has collected more awards during retirement. After his retirement, lightning no. 26 hung on the trusses and became the first in the franchise history who retired his number.
Then lightning captain Steven Stamkos said that St. Louis “… Was, is still and will be the heart and soul of this organization forever.”
St. Louis was included in the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2018. Although he was not the first to have played for lightning, he is perhaps the first real lightning player to be recorded. To work out further, he is the first to represent this franchise above any others. Even Dave Andreychuk, who was a team captain and colleague -stanley Cup champion 2004, has 12 years at the Buffalo Sabres that several generations do not overlook fans.
Although in the Hockey Hall of Fame it is the highest honor in sport, the greatest honor he had with the Lightning was his team of the Fame induction. To be more specific, how he was initiated. He and Lecavalier were automatic inductes. Both were such obvious choices that they have just begun complicated, so fans had to vote on other players. You must leave a significant impact to bypass a mood.
St. Louis’ impact on the growth of hockey in Tampa Bay
What St. Louis did for lightning in turn was crucial for the growth of hockey in the Tampa Bay area. Earlier I wrote about how much hockey has grown in the area since Stamkos had been set up. Although that impact was very real, someone had to help the team to get in their history up to that moment.
Forget the overall team success. They probably don’t win a cup without him. Of course there is a good chance that this team will eventually be the strong franchise that they are. That is probably also the case. Jeff Vinik’s strategy would change everything. Let’s think a bit deeper.
St. Louis provided the team a face, together with Lecavalier, for fans to hold more than a dozen seasons. Even during some brutal seasons on the ice, in which presence suffered as a result, those consistent faces kept the team up. They had the former Stanley Cup hero to visit. Some people certainly influenced that.
A less star means that fewer children grow up in the area have someone to alienate. I will be one of the first to credit St. Louis as an important reason why I became a hockey fan. I am not only in that sentiment under Tampa Bay Hockey fans of my generation. Not having Marty does not mean that you just look up to Vinny or someone else in the team. That is not how children think. They sometimes just choose a different interest, whether it is a different sport or something else.
Having stars as St. Louis prevented a lost generation. He bridged the gap between those who got games in the Thunderdome in the nineties and those who fell in love with the team in the years 2010 and beyond. Many teams cannot say that they had that guy, and it was therefore a steeper climb. The lightning and the Tampa Bay area as a whole can say that, and it helped them to make the franchise and region, and the team and hockey market they are today.
#Lightning #legend #Martin #Louis #Impact #Hockey #Tampa #Hockey #Writers #Lightning #History #Latest #News #Analysis