Steven Stamkos pens emotional goodbye to Tampa Bay: 'I'd be lying if I said it wasn't heartbreaking'
TAMPA, Fla. - Steven Stamkos penned a heartfelt goodbye letter to the Tampa Bay Lightning in the Players' Tribune on Monday, reflecting on all the moments he shared with the city and team.
TAMPA, FL - OCTOBER 12: Steven Stamkos #91 of the Tampa Bay Lightning is introduced before the game against the Pittsburgh Penguins at Amalie Arena on October 12, 2021 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Scott Audette/NHLI via Getty Images)
The longtime - and many thought lifetime - member of the Bolts and two-time Stanley Cup champion wrote an emotional goodbye to the team he captained for years after he left in free agency for a Four-Year, $32 Million contract with the Nashville Predators.
READ: Steven Stamkos speaks out after parting with Lightning, calls situation 'puzzling and strange'
Stamkos and the Lightning were unable to see eye-to-eye about his staying with the team, leading the captain to move on in a move that shocked the hockey world and left the Tampa Bay community missing the player that came to define the ‘Champa Bay’ era.
TAMPA, FLORIDA - JULY 12: Steven Stamkos #91 of the Tampa Bay Lightning celebrates during the Stanley Cup victory rally at Julian B. Lane Riverfront Park on July 12, 2021 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)
Stammer reflected on those Champa Bay years and opened up on how the last year or so when his future with the Bolts remained unclear was hard for him.
READ: Tampa Bay Lightning captain Steven Stamkos departs in free agency
"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," Stamkos opened by saying. "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."
He described his initial years of being a Bolt, becoming a captain in 2014, losing in the Championship in 2015, and then of course, the back-to-back titles with the team.
TAMPA, FL - JULY 7: Steven Stamkos #91 and the Tampa Bay Lightning celebrate winning the Stanley Cup after defeating the Montreal Canadiens in Game Five to win the best of seven game series 4-1 during the Stanley Cup Final of the 2021 Stanley Cup Pla
Stamkos said his first Stanley Cup with the Lightning wasn't at all how he imagined it, with the playoffs being played in a bubble in 2020 due to COVID-19.
But the year after, when the Bolts went back-to-back, was exactly how he imagined it going.
"At home. Packed arena. Great playoff run. Great final. Lifting the Cup in front of everyone. Sharing it with you, Tampa. It was beyond words."
BOSTON, MA - OCTOBER 17: Tampa Bay Lightning center Steven Stamkos (91) skates during warmups prior to the Tampa Bay Lightning and Boston Bruins NHL game on October 17, 2019, at TD Garden in Boston, MA. (Photo by John Crouch/Icon Sportswire via Getty
"To win two cups in 282 days, that's pretty cool."
He went on to say how much he'd miss the Bolts faithful, thanking Jon Cooper and Lightning Owner Jeffrey Vinik.
"It's been the honor of my life to represent this team, and to be your captain," Stamkos wrote.
TAMPA, FL - SEPTEMBER 15: Steven Stamkos of the Tampa Bay Lightning poses for his official headshot for the 2008-2009 NHL season. (Photo by NHL Images/NHLI via Getty Images)
"These past few weeks have been bittersweet. I never thought this day would come. I did everything I felt I could do to make it work, but sometimes things just happen. It didn't work."
"And I'd be lying if I said it wasn't heartbreaking. But my family and I, we’re human, you know? Tampa is home. It’s where our three kids were born … it’s where our memories are. It’s always going to mean so much to us."
OTTAWA, ON - JUNE 20: First overall pick, Steven Stamkos of the Tampa Bay Lightning poses for a photograph after being selected in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft at Scotiabank Place on June 20, 2008 in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Andre Ringuette/Get
The Bolts will now be looking for a new player to wear the Captain's C on his sweater, becoming the 11th captain in franchise history since the Lightning joined the NHL in 1992.
When Stamkos comes back into town in October, too, he said he'll be glad to see Amalie Arena again.
READ: Lightning release 2024-2025 schedule, Stamkos' return with new team
"And when the time comes to play down in Tampa, it’ll be nice to be home again."