Tampa Bay Lightning History.
Tampa Bay Lightning,
professional ice hockey team and one of five teams in the Southeast
Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League (NHL).
The Lightning play at the Ice Palace in Tampa, Florida, and wear
uniforms of black, blue, silver, and white. The team’s name was chosen
as a symbol of swiftness and strength.
Tampa Bay joined the NHL
as an expansion team in 1992, with Hockey Hall of Fame member Phil
Esposito serving as the team’s first general manager. The club placed
last in its division in its first two seasons and second to last in its
third year. Center Brian Bradley, formerly of the Toronto Maple Leafs,
emerged as the Lightning’s top scorer.
In the 1995-96 season Tampa Bay qualified for the playoffs for the first
time. Important players included defenseman Roman Hamrlik and goalie
Daren Puppa, whose save percentage and goals-against average each ranked
in the NHL’s top five. The Lightning lost to the Philadelphia Flyers in
the opening round of the playoffs.
In 2003 the Lightning made
it to the playoffs and won a series for the first time, losing in the
second round. The following year Tampa Bay finished first in the Eastern
Conference and went all the way to the Stanley Cup Finals. After
trailing in the series three games to two, the Lightning came back to
win the Cup in seven games over the Calgary Flames.
|
Afanasenkov |
Dimitri
|
Left
Wing |
Tampa
Bay Lightning |
$880,880.00 |
|
Alexeev |
Nikita
|
Right
Wing |
Tampa
Bay Lightning |
$1,182,500.00 |
|
Andreychuk |
David
|
Left
Wing |
Tampa
Bay Lightning |
$1,800,000.00 |
|
Boyle |
Dan
|
Defence |
Tampa
Bay Lightning |
$2,750,000.00 |
|
Cibak |
Martin
|
Centre |
Tampa
Bay Lightning |
$500,000.00 |
|
Clymer |
Ben
|
Right
Wing |
Tampa
Bay Lightning |
Unsigned
|
|
Dingman |
Chris
|
Left
Wing |
Tampa
Bay Lightning |
$750,000.00 |
|
Fedotenko |
Ruslan
|
Left
Wing |
Tampa
Bay Lightning |
$1,500,000.00 |
|
Grahame |
John
|
Goal |
Tampa
Bay Lightning |
$1,280,000.00 |
|
Helbling |
Timo
|
Defence |
Tampa
Bay Lightning |
Unsigned
|
|
Khabibulin |
Nikolai
|
Goal |
Tampa
Bay Lightning |
$6,500,000.00 |
|
Kubina |
Pavel
|
Defence |
Tampa
Bay Lightning |
$3,100,000.00 |
|
Lecavalier |
Vincent
|
Centre |
Tampa
Bay Lightning |
$4,375,000.00 |
|
Lukowich |
Brad
|
Defence |
Tampa
Bay Lightning |
$1,275,000.00 |
|
Modin |
Fredrik
|
Left
Wing |
Tampa
Bay Lightning |
$2,900,000.00 |
|
Neckar |
Stanislav
|
Defence |
Tampa
Bay Lightning |
Unsigned
|
|
Perrin |
Eric
|
Centre |
Tampa
Bay Lightning |
$400,000.00 |
|
Pratt |
Nolan
|
Defence |
Tampa
Bay Lightning |
$743,725.00 |
|
Prospal |
Vaclav
|
Centre |
Tampa
Bay Lightning |
$2,500,000.00 |
|
Richards |
Brad
|
Centre |
Tampa
Bay Lightning |
$2,625,000.00 |
|
Roy |
Andre
|
Left
Wing |
Tampa
Bay Lightning |
$925,000.00 |
|
Rumble |
Darren
|
Defence |
Tampa
Bay Lightning |
Unsigned
|
|
Sarich |
Cory
|
Defence |
Tampa
Bay Lightning |
$1,600,000.00 |
|
Somervuori |
Eero
|
Right
Wing |
Tampa
Bay Lightning |
Unsigned
|
|
St. Louis |
Martin
|
Right
Wing |
Tampa
Bay Lightning |
Unsigned
|
|
Stillman |
Cory
|
Centre |
Tampa
Bay Lightning |
Unsigned
|
|
Sydor |
Darryl
|
Defence |
Tampa
Bay Lightning |
$3,200,000.00 |
|
Taylor |
Tim R.
|
Centre |
Tampa
Bay Lightning |
$850,000.00 |
|
Trepanier |
Pascal
|
Defence |
Tampa
Bay Lightning |
Unsigned
|
|
Willis |
Shane
|
Right
Wing |
Tampa
Bay Lightning |
$550,000.00 |
|
