document_title: Tampa Bay Lightning

question_text: when did tampa last win the stanley cup

question_tokens: when did tampa last win the stanley cup

text: Tampa Bay Lightning

text: Franchise history[edit]

text: Early years (1992–1998)[edit]

text: In the late 1980s, the NHL announced it would expand. Two rival groups from the Tampa Bay Area area decided to bid for a franchise: a St. Petersburg-based group fronted by future Hartford Whalers/Carolina Hurricanes owners Peter Karmanos and Jim Rutherford, and a Tampa-based group fronted by two Hall of Famers—Phil Esposito and his brother Tony.

text: One of Esposito's key backers, the Pritzker family, backed out a few months before the bid, to be replaced by a consortium of Japanese businesses headed by Kokusai Green, a golf course and resort operator. On paper, it looked like the Karmanos/Rutherford group was the more stable bid, however, the group wanted to pay only $29 million before starting play, while the Esposito group was one of the few groups willing to pay the $50 million expansion fee up front.[5] The Esposito group would win the expansion franchise, and name the team the Lightning, after Tampa Bay's status as the "Lightning Capital of North America".

text: After being awarded the franchise, Phil Esposito installed himself as president and general manager, while Tony became chief scout. Terry Crisp, who played for the Philadelphia Flyers when they won two Stanley Cups in the mid-1970s and coached the Calgary Flames to a Stanley Cup in 1989, was tapped as the first head coach. Phil Esposito would also hire former teammates from the Boston Bruins of the 1970s; he hired former linemate Wayne Cashman as an assistant coach, former Bruin trainer John "Frosty" Forristal as the team's trainer and the inaugural team photo has him flanked by Cashman and player Ken Hodge, Jr., son of his other Bruins' linemate.

text: The team turned heads in the pre-season when Manon Rheaume became the first woman to play in an NHL game, which also made her the first woman to play in any of the major professional North American sports leagues; she played for the Lightning against the St. Louis Blues, and stopped seven of nine shots.[6][7]

text: The Lightning's first regular season game took place on October 7, 1992, playing in Tampa's tiny 11,000-seat Expo Hall at the Florida State Fairgrounds. They shocked the visiting Chicago Blackhawks 7–3 with four goals by little-known Chris Kontos. The Lightning shot to the top of the Campbell Conference's Norris Division within a month, behind Kontos' initial torrid scoring pace and a breakout season by forward Brian Bradley. However, they buckled under the strain of some of the longest road trips in the NHL—their nearest division rival, the Blues, were over 1,000 miles away—and finished in last place with a record of 23–54–7 for 53 points. This was, at the time, one of the best-ever showings by an NHL expansion team. Bradley's 42 goals gave Tampa Bay fans optimism for the next season; it would be a team record until the 2006–07 season.

text: The following season saw the Lightning shift to the Eastern Conference's Atlantic Division, as well as move into the Florida Suncoast Dome (a building originally designed for baseball) in St. Petersburg, which was reconfigured for hockey and renamed "the ThunderDome."[8] The team acquired goaltender Daren Puppa, left-wing goal scorer Petr Klima and Denis Savard. While Puppa's play resulted in a significant improvement in goals allowed (from 332 to 251), Savard was long past his prime and Klima's scoring was offset by his defensive lapses. The Lightning finished last in the Atlantic Division in 1993–94 with a record of 30–43–11 for 71 points. Another disappointing season followed in the lockout-shortened 1995 season with a record of 17–28–3 for 37 points.

text: On-ice and off-ice struggles[edit]

text: In their fourth season, 1995–96, with Bradley still leading the team in scoring, second-year forward Alexander Selivanov scoring a total of 31 goals, and Roman Hamrlik having an All-Star year on defense, the Lightning finally qualified for the playoffs, nosing out the defending Stanley Cup champion New Jersey Devils with a record of 38–33–12 with 88 points for the eighth spot in the Eastern Conference by a single win. Due to his stellar play in net, Puppa was named a finalist for the Vezina Trophy (losing out to Jim Carey of the Washington Capitals). Set to play the Stanley Cup contending Philadelphia Flyers, the Lighting would split the opening two games in Philadelphia before taking a 2-1 series lead in overtime before a ThunderDome crowd of 28,183. This was the largest crowd for an NHL game, a record that stood until the 2003 Heritage Classic in Edmonton. An injury to Puppa in that game, however, would see the Lightning lose the next three games and the series.

text: The Lightning acquired goalscorer Dino Ciccarelli from the Detroit Red Wings during the 1996 off-season, and he did not disappoint, scoring 35 goals in the 1996–97 season, with Chris Gratton notching another 30 goals. The team moved into a glittering new arena, the Ice Palace (now Amalie Arena), and appeared destined for another playoff spot. However, the Lightning suffered a devastating rash of injuries. Puppa developed back trouble that kept him out of all but four games during the season; he would only play a total of 50 games from 1996 until his retirement in 2000. Bradley also lost time to a series of concussions that would limit him to a total of 49 games from 1996 until his retirement in December 1999. Center John Cullen developed non-Hodgkin lymphoma, and missed the last 12 games of the 1996–97 season; he would eventually be forced to retire in 1999. Decimated by these ailments, the Lightning narrowly missed the playoffs.

text: Most of the Lightning's early stars were gone by 1998 due to free agency and a series of ill advised trades. Crisp was fired 11 games into the 1997–98 season and replaced by Jacques Demers. Though Demers had presided over the resurgence of the Detroit Red Wings in the 1980s and helmed a Stanley Cup run with the Montreal Canadiens in 1993, he was unable to change the team's fortunes and the Lightning ended up losing 55 games.

text: By most accounts, the Lightning's plunge to the bottom of the NHL was due to inattentive ownership by Kokusai Green. Rumors abounded as early as the team's second season that the Lightning were on the brink of bankruptcy and that the team was part of a money laundering scheme for the yakuza (Japanese crime families).[9] Its scouting operation consisted of Tony Esposito and several satellite dishes. The Internal Revenue Service investigated the team in 1994 and 1995, and nearly threatened to put a tax lien on the team for $750,000 in back taxes. The situation led longtime NHL broadcaster and writer Stan Fischler to call the Lightning a "skating vaudeville show".[10]

text: Even in their first playoff season, the team was awash in red ink and Kokusai Green was looking to sell the team, however its asking price of $230 million for the team and the lease with the Ice Palace deterred buyers.[10] A possible sale was further hampered by the team's murky ownership structure; even some team officials (including Crisp) did not know who really owned the team.[9] Takashi Okubo, the owner of Kokusai Green, had never met with the Espositos or with NHL officials in person prior to being awarded the Lightning franchise, and had never watched his team play or visited the city of Tampa.

text: Nearly all of Kokusai Green's investment in the team and the Ice Palace came in the form of loans, leaving the team constantly short of cash.[11] At least one prospective buyer pulled out after expressing doubts that Okubo even existed.[9] In fact, the first time anyone connected with the Lightning or the NHL even saw Okubo was in the spring of 1998. Many of Esposito's trades came simply to keep the team above water. The team's financial situation was a considerable concern to NHL officials; rumors surfaced that the league was seriously considering taking control of the team if Okubo failed to find a buyer by the summer of 1998.[10]

text: Forbes wrote an article in late 1997 calling the Lightning a financial nightmare, with a debt equal to 236% of its value, the highest of any major North American sports franchise. Even though the Ice Palace was built for hockey and the Lightning were the only major tenant, Forbes called the team's deal with the arena a lemon since it would not result in much revenue for 30 years. It was also behind on paying state sales taxes and federal payroll taxes.[12]

text: Finally, in 1998, Kokusai Green found a buyer. Although Detroit Pistons owner William Davidson was thought to be the frontrunner, the buyer turned out to be insurance tycoon and motivational speaker Art Williams, who previously owned the Birmingham Barracudas of the Canadian Football League (CFL). The team was $102 million in debt at the time the sale closed.[10] Williams knew very little about hockey, but was very visible and outspoken, and immediately pumped an additional $6 million into the team's payroll. He also cleared most of the debt from the Kokusai Green era. After taking control, Williams publicly assured the Espositos that their jobs were safe, only to fire them two games into the 1998–99 season. He then gave Demers complete control of hockey operations as both coach and general manager. The Lightning drafted Vincent Lecavalier in 1998, a player who would be a cornerstone of the team for years to come.

text: Williams was widely seen as being in over his head and was an easy target for his NHL colleagues, who called him "Jed Clampett" behind his back due to his thick Southern accent and fundamentalist Christian views. Early in the 1998–99 season, the Lightning lost ten games in a row, all but ending any chance of making the playoffs. They ended up losing 54 games that year, more than the expansion Nashville Predators.

text: Vincent Lecavalier and Martin St. Louis era (1998–2013)[edit]

text: Return to respectability[edit]

text: By the spring of 1999, Williams had seen enough. He had not attended a game in some time because "this team broke my heart". He lost $20 million in the 1998–99 season alone, as much money in one year as he had estimated he could have reasonably lost in five years.[13] Williams sold the team for $115 million—$2 million less than he had paid for the team a year earlier—to Detroit Pistons owner William Davidson, who had almost bought the team a year earlier.[14] Along with the sale, the Lightning acquired a new top minor league affiliate; Davidson also owned the Detroit Vipers of the now-defunct International Hockey League.

text: Davidson remained in Detroit, but appointed Tom Wilson as team president to handle day-to-day management of the team. Wilson immediately fired Jacques Demers, who despite his best efforts (and fatherly attitude toward Vincent Lecavalier) was unable to overcome the damage from the Kokusai Green ownership. Wilson persuaded Ottawa Senators general manager (and former Vipers GM) Rick Dudley to take over as the Lightning's new general manager; Dudley, in turn, brought Vipers coach Steve Ludzik in as the team's new head coach. Wilson, Dudley and Ludzik had helped make the Vipers one of the premier minor league hockey franchises, having won a Turner Cup in only their third season in Detroit (the team had originally been based in Salt Lake City).

text: However, as had been the case with Demers, the damage from the last few seasons under Kokusai Green was too much for Ludzik to overcome. Even with a wholesale transfer of talent from Detroit to Tampa (a move that eventually doomed the Vipers, which folded along with the IHL in 2001), the Lightning lost 54 games in 1999–2000 and 52 in 2000–01, becoming the first team in NHL history to post four straight 50-loss seasons. The lone bright spots in those years were the blossoming of Vincent Lecavalier and Brad Richards into NHL stars. Ludzik was replaced in early 2001 by career NHL assistant John Tortorella. The March 5 trade deadline offered another glimmer of hope when the team acquired hold-out goaltender Nikolai Khabibulin from the Phoenix Coyotes for three players and a draft pick.

text: The 2001–02 season, Tortorella's first full year behind the bench, saw some improvement. Martin St. Louis was having a breakout season when he broke his leg in game number 47 and was lost for the remainder of the season.[15] Khabibulin recorded a shut out at the NHL All-Star Game but was not named its MVP, by all accounts due to the game's voting protocol.[16] By mid-February, the Lightning were well out of playoff contention and were sinking under a rash of injuries. Dudley, who had guaranteed a playoff berth before the season, was fired and replaced by his assistant, Jay Feaster. Still the Lightning showed some signs of life, earning more than 60 points for the first time since 1997. Tortorella stripped Lecavalier of the captaincy due to contract negotiations that had made the young center miss the start of the season.

text: Two dream seasons and the Stanley Cup[edit]

text: With a young core of players led by Vincent Lecavalier, Brad Richards, Martin St. Louis and Fredrik Modin, the Lightning were thought to be very close to respectability. However, they arrived somewhat earlier than expected in 2002–03. The young team was led by the goaltending of Nikolai Khabibulin and the scoring efforts of Lecavalier, St. Louis, Modin, Richards and Ruslan Fedotenko, and also boasted a new captain, former prolific scorer Dave Andreychuk. Throughout the season, the Lightning battled the Washington Capitals for first place in the Southeast Division. They finished with a record of 36–25–16 for 93 points, breaking the 90-point barrier for the first time in team history. They won the division by just one point, giving them home-ice advantage in their first round match-up with the Capitals. At season's end, coach Tortorella was recognized for his efforts by being named a finalist for the Jack Adams Award, losing out to Jacques Lemaire of the Minnesota Wild.

text: In the first round of the playoffs, the Lightning quickly fell two games behind in the series but followed the two losses with four consecutive wins which advanced them to the Conference Semi-finals for the first time in team history. In the semi-finals, the Lightning won only one game, losing the series to the New Jersey Devils, who went on to win the Stanley Cup.

text: The Lightning's dramatic improvement continued through the 2003–04 regular season, finishing with a record of 46–22–8–6 for 106 points, second-best in the NHL after the Western Conference's Detroit Red Wings—the first 100-point season in franchise history. The Lightning went through the season with only 20-man-games lost to injury. In the first round of the playoffs, the Lightning ousted the Alexei Yashin-led New York Islanders in five games, with solid play from goaltender Nikolai Khabibulin, who posted three shutouts in Games 1, 3 and 4.

text: In the second round, the Lightning faced the Montreal Canadiens, captained by Saku Koivu; Lecavalier, Richards, and Khabibulin led the team to a four-game sweep of Montreal. They next faced Keith Primeau and his Philadelphia Flyers in the Conference Finals. After a tightly-fought seven-game series in which neither team was able to win consecutive games, Fredrik Modin notched the winning goal of the seventh and deciding game, earning the Eastern Conference championship for the Lightning and their first-ever berth in the Stanley Cup Finals.

text: Their opponent in the final round was the Calgary Flames, captained by Jarome Iginla. The final round also went the full seven games, with the deciding game played in the St. Pete Times Forum on June 7, 2004. This time, Ruslan Fedotenko was the Game 7 hero, scoring both Lightning goals in a 2–1 victory. Brad Richards, who had 26 points in the post-season, won the Conn Smythe Trophy as the most valuable player of the playoffs; the Lightning had won all 31 contests in which he had scored a goal since the opening of the season. Tortorella won the Jack Adams Award as the NHL's Coach of the Year. Only three years after their last of four consecutive seasons of 50 or more losses, and in only their 12th year of existence, the Lightning became the southernmost team ever to win the Stanley Cup. Martin St. Louis led the team and the NHL with 94 points (his 38 goals were fourth-most after the 41 of tied trio Jarome Iginla, Rick Nash and Ilya Kovalchuk), and won the Hart Memorial Trophy as the NHL's most valuable player. St. Louis also won the Lester B. Pearson Award for the NHL's most outstanding player as voted by the NHL Players' Association, and tied the Vancouver Canucks' Marek Malik for the NHL Plus/Minus Award. A season of superlatives was capped with one final accolade, as The Sporting News named GM Jay Feaster as the league's executive of the year for 2003–04.

text: The Lightning had to wait a year to defend their title due to the 2004–05 NHL lockout, but in 2005–06, they barely made the playoffs with a record of 43–33–6 for 93 points in a conference where six teams notched 100 or more points. They lost to the Ottawa Senators in five games in the first round of the 2006 playoffs.

text: Disappointments and rebuilding[edit]

text: During the off-season, the Lightning traded Fredrik Modin and Fredrik Norrena to the Columbus Blue Jackets in exchange for goaltender Marc Denis in an effort to replace the departing John Grahame, who had signed with the Carolina Hurricanes. However, free agent Johan Holmqvist would eventually receive the majority of playing time and most of the club's wins. The first half of 2006–07 was inconsistent for the Lightning, maintaining an 18–19–2 record throughout the first few months. January and February were far better months for the team, going 9–4–0 in January and 9–2–2 in February, driving them back into the playoff race. Fourteen games in March were split even, and on March 16, 2007, Vincent Lecavalier broke the franchise record for most points in a season, with 95 (finishing with 108). The record was previously held by Martin St. Louis, who had set the record in the 2003–04 Stanley Cup-winning year. Lecavalier also broke the franchise's goal scoring record, finishing with a league-leading 52 goals.

text: The Lightning were busy during the final weeks before the NHL's trade deadline, acquiring wingers Kyle Wanvig, Stephen Baby and defenseman Shane O'Brien. Former first round pick Nikita Alexeev was traded on deadline day to the Chicago Blackhawks. Other mid-season additions to the team included Filip Kuba, Luke Richardson and Doug Janik. Veteran Andre Roy, who had won the Stanley Cup with the Lightning in 2004, was claimed off waivers from the Pittsburgh Penguins.

text: Throughout March, the Lightning had been competing with the Atlanta Thrashers for first place in the Southeast Division. With a chance to overtake the Thrashers one final time and once again become division champions for the third time in team history, on April 6, 2007, in the final week of the regular season, the Lighting suffered a loss to the Florida Panthers, the night before the season finale in Atlanta. That same night, the Thrashers defeated the Carolina Hurricanes and subsequently clinched the division. For the Lightning, this meant having to settle for the seventh seed in the Eastern Conference with a final record of 44–33–5 (93 points).

text: However, the Lightning were eliminated from playoff competition on April 22 after a 3–2 home loss to the New Jersey Devils in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals.

text: Following their playoff exit, on August 7, 2007, Absolute Hockey Enterprises, a group led by Doug MacLean, announced it had signed a purchase agreement for the team and the leasehold on the St. Pete Times Forum. MacLean is the former president and general manager of the Columbus Blue Jackets and former head coach for both the Blue Jackets and the Florida Panthers. The group announced it planned to keep the team in Tampa, but the deal collapsed during the 2007–08 season.

text: The Lightning struggled to maintain success during the 2007–08 campaign. Although the "Big 3" of Vincent Lecavalier, Martin St. Louis and Brad Richards, along with Vaclav Prospal, had performed up to expectations, they had little consistent play from supporting players.

text: At the start of the All-Star Break on January 25, 2008, the Lightning had a 20–25–5 record, and with 45 points, were in last place in both the Southeast Division and the Eastern Conference. Only the Los Angeles Kings had a lower point total at this time of the season, with 40 points.

text: On February 13, 2008, it was announced that Palace Sports & Entertainment had agreed to sell the Lightning to OK Hockey LLC, a group headed by Oren Koules, a producer of the Saw horror movies, and Len Barrie, a former NHL player and real estate developer.

text: The Lightning were active during the trade deadline, similar to the previous season. More notable trades included Vaclav Prospal's trade to the Philadelphia Flyers in exchange for prospect Alexandre Picard and a conditional draft pick.[17] Additionally, former Conn Smythe Trophy winner Brad Richards and goaltender Johan Holmqvist were traded to the Dallas Stars in exchange for goaltender Mike Smith and forwards Jussi Jokinen and Jeff Halpern, as well as a fourth-round draft pick in 2009.[18] Jan Hlavac, a regular contributor, was also traded, moving to the Nashville Predators in exchange for a seventh-round pick in 2008.[19] Defenseman Dan Boyle was re-signed to a six-year contract extension reportedly worth $40 million.[20]

text: However, after the trade deadline, the Lightning fared no better than they had throughout the entire season. After the February 26 trade deadline, the Lightning won only five games. Finishing with a 31–42–9 record, with 71 points, they had the highest chance of winning the top overall pick in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft through the draft lottery, which they eventually won on April 7. They would use their first overall pick to select Steven Stamkos of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL)'s Sarnia Sting.

text: The Lightning were the worst team on the road in the NHL, winning only 11 games. Another showing of the team's poor play was the difference from the previous season's success in the overtime/shootout periods. In the 2006–07 season, the Lightning had one of the best extra period records, winning 15 games in either overtime or the shootout. However, in the 2007–08 season, they won only three games, losing nine.

text: Vincent Lecavalier suffered a dislocated shoulder as the result of an open-ice hit from Matt Cooke of the Washington Capitals in the game before the season finale in Atlanta. Lecavalier, who planned on having arthroscopic wrist surgery after the season's ending, would undergo surgery to repair his right shoulder as well. Cooke was fined $2,500 by the NHL for the hit, as Lecavalier did not have possession of the puck at the time. Perhaps the lone bright spot in the season was Lecavalier's winning both the King Clancy Memorial Trophy and the NHL Foundation Player Award for work through his foundation, including a $3 million pledge to All Children's Hospital in St. Petersburg, Florida, for what would become the Vincent Lecavalier Pediatric Cancer and Blood Disorders Center at All Children's Hospital.

text: Head coach John Tortorella was fired by the Lightning following their worst season since Tortorella was hired. At the time working as an NHL analyst for ESPN, Barry Melrose stated on June 4 during an episode of Pardon the Interruption that he missed coaching and would entertain any NHL coaching offers. He stated, "I miss not having a dog in the fight."[citation needed] On June 23, ESPN reported Melrose had been chosen to be the head coach of the Lightning, beginning in 2008–09. The next day, the Lightning officially introduced him as their new head coach.

text: On July 4, 2008, Dan Boyle, despite coming off a recent contract extension, was traded (along with Brad Lukowich) to the San Jose Sharks in exchange for Matt Carle, Ty Wishart, a first-round draft pick in 2009 and a fourth-round pick in 2010. Boyle was pressured to waive his no-trade clause by Tampa Bay's ownership, who said they would otherwise place him on waivers, where he would likely be claimed by the Atlanta Thrashers. In the fallout from the trade, Boyle would call Lightning ownership "liars"[21] for misrepresenting the aforementioned events to the public, while former coach Tortorella later labeled them as "cowboys" and said he had zero respect for them.[22] Frustrated at interference in the team's hockey operations by Barrie and Koules, seven days later, Jay Feaster resigned as general manager, despite having three years remaining on his contract.

text: The Lightning opened the 2008–09 season in the Czech Republic against the New York Rangers as a part of the NHL's regular season "Premiere" that selects several teams to open the regular season in Europe.

text: Barry Melrose would record his first win as a head coach in over 13 years on October 21, 2008, with a 3–2 victory over the Atlanta Thrashers. However, the Lightning did not get off to a great start as hoped, and Melrose was eventually fired by the Lightning with a 5–7–4 record. Rick Tocchet, who had been hired as assistant coach during the previous off-season, was promoted to interim head coach.

text: On March 4, veterans Mark Recchi and Olaf Kolzig were traded by the Tampa Bay Lightning to the Boston Bruins and Toronto Maple Leafs, respectively. The Lightning acquired top round picks Matt Lashoff and Martins Karsums from the Bruins.

text: After the firing of Melrose, the Lightning went 19–33–14 and would finish the season 24–40–18 with 66 points, their lowest point total since the 2000–01 season. With the second overall pick in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft, the Lightning selected Swedish defenseman Victor Hedman.

text: In the 2009 off-season, the Lightning removed the interim status of Rick Tocchet, making him the full-time head coach and signing him to a multi-year contract.[23] The Lightning had an up-and-down beginning to the 2009–10 campaign. Despite an overmatched roster on paper, and a team that struggled in the first two periods of many games, the Lightning remained competitive in the playoff race until March, when they went 5–10–1 for the month and fell eight points out of a playoff spot. Unable to make a final push for the playoffs, they were officially eliminated from contention within the first week of April. The Lightning finished the season 34–36–12 for 80 points, fourth in the Southeast Division and 12th in the Eastern Conference.

text: Steven Stamkos scored 51 goals in just his second NHL season, earning himself a share of the Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy by finishing tied for the NHL lead in goals with Pittsburgh Penguins star Sidney Crosby.[24]

text: During the season, the team was sold to Bostonian investment banker Jeffrey Vinik. Following the late-season collapse, Vinik cleaned house, firing both head coach Rick Tocchet and GM Brian Lawton on April 12, 2010, one day after the season ended.[25]

text: In May 2010, Vinik hired Steve Yzerman away from the Detroit Red Wings front office to be the new GM, signing him to a five-year contract. Yzerman then hired Guy Boucher away from the Montreal Canadiens organization to succeed Tocchet as the head coach two weeks later.

text: Yzerman's first off-season with Tampa Bay began with a splash. With the sixth pick of the 2010 NHL Entry Draft, the Lightning selected forward Brett Connolly despite a history of injuries while playing for the Western Hockey League (WHL)'s Prince George Cougars. When asked about Connolly's injuries being a factor in the decision to draft him, Yzerman boldly declared, "I think it was a factor that he was available with the 6th pick. Because if he had been healthy all year, based on everything I know, he would not have been available with the 6th pick." On July 1, 2010, veteran blueliner Andrej Meszaros was traded to the Philadelphia Flyers in exchange for their second-round pick in 2011. Later that day, the Lightning signed star winger Martin St. Louis to a four-year, $22.5 million contract extension to come into effect on July 1, 2011. On July 19, in another move with the Flyers organization, the Lightning traded defenseman Matt Walker and Tampa Bay's fourth-round pick in 2011 for high-scoring winger Simon Gagne. Other off-season acquisitions included the signing of forwards Sean Bergenheim, Dominic Moore and Marc-Antoine Pouliot, along with defensemen Brett Clark, Randy Jones and Pavel Kubina and goaltender Dan Ellis, as well as the re-signing of restricted free agent forward Steve Downie to a two-year, $3.7 million deal.

text: End of the Lecavalier/St. Louis era[edit]

text: With starting goaltender Mike Smith injured, the Lightning called up Cedrick Desjardins, who played with a .950 save percentage and a 1.00 goals against average (GAA) in two games. The team then acquired veteran Dwayne Roloson from the New York Islanders for further coverage in net.[26]

text: The Lightning compiled a 46–25–11 record with 103 points in the 2010–11 season, matching a franchise record for wins in a season. After holding the first place in the Southeast Division for several months, they fell to second after a poor performance in March. However, their record was solid enough for second in the Southeast Division and fifth in the Eastern Conference, and they returned to the playoffs for the first time since the 2006–07 season. Scoring 31 goals and assisting on 68, Martin St. Louis finished second in the NHL in points.

text: In the playoffs, Tampa Bay drew the Pittsburgh Penguins in the Conference Quarterfinals. After losing Game 4 at home in the second overtime period, they fell behind in the series one game to three. However, the Lightning went on to win the next three games, including a 1–0 Game 7 win on the road, taking their first playoff series since winning the Stanley Cup in 2004. In the Conference Semi-finals, the Lightning swept the top-seeded Washington Capitals.

text: Tampa Bay went up against the Boston Bruins in the Eastern Conference Finals. In Game 4 of the series, the Lightning trailed 3–0 at the end of the first period. When Dwayne Roloson was pulled for Mike Smith, the Bruins failed to score again, and the Lightning tied the game in the second period by scoring three goals in 3:58, going on to win the game 5–3 and tying the series at two games apiece. The series went the full seven games, though the Lightning were eliminated by a single goal, as the game was lost (0–1).

text: The Lightning finished the 2011–12 season with a 38–36–8 record. With only 84 points, they fell short of reaching the playoffs, ending the season third in the Southeast Division and tenth in the Eastern Conference.

text: Individually, Steven Stamkos scored a franchise-record 60 goals. He won the Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy for the second time in his career, the first time in which he was the unanimous victor. Stamkos was also second in the NHL in points with 97, and was a finalist for both the Hart Memorial Trophy and the Ted Lindsay Award.

text: As with the 1994–95 NHL lockout, the 2012–13 NHL lockout resulted in a 48-game season.

text: Nearing the end of a dismal 18–26–4 season for 40 points, in which the Lightning ended fourth in the Southeast and 14th in the East, GM Steve Yzerman looked to their highly-successful American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Syracuse Crunch. On March 25, 2013, head coach Guy Boucher was dismissed for following a 7–16–1 record.[27] The Lightning announced Jon Cooper would become the eighth head coach in franchise history.[28]

text: Martin St. Louis won his second Art Ross Trophy with 60 points in the shortened season, as Stamkos finished runner-up 57.

text: On June 27, 2013, the team announced that they would exercise one of their two "compliance buyouts" on captain Vincent Lecavalier, as permitted by the collective agreement. This move would make Lecavalier an unrestricted free agent beginning July 5, free to sign with any team except the Lightning. The team stated the move was made not because of Lecavalier's play on the ice, but simply because of how his contract affected the team's salary cap, which would have been over $7 million per year until its expiration after the 2019–20 season.[29][30][31]

text: Steven Stamkos era (2013–)[edit]

text: Return to the playoffs[edit]

text: After acquiring goaltender Ben Bishop from the Ottawa Senators in a trade the previous season, the Lightning started the 2013 season with an above average performance. On November 11, 2013, going into the day tied for most goals during the regular season, Steven Stamkos suffered a broken right tibia after crashing into one of the goalposts during play against the Boston Bruins. He would miss 45 games and was not cleared to play again until March 5, 2014.[32]

text: In January, GM Steve Yzerman, who also served as the general manager for Canada's team at the 2014 Winter Olympics, elected not to name Lightning captain Martin St. Louis to Canada's roster, instead choosing the still-injured Stamkos. After Stamkos was not medically cleared to play in Sochi in early February, Yzerman ultimately named St. Louis to Team Canada as an injury replacement. In late February, it was reported St. Louis had requested a trade from Yzerman the month prior.[33] St. Louis, who had a no-move clause in his contract with Tampa Bay, reportedly consented to only being traded to the New York Rangers. On March 5, 2014, St. Louis was sent to New York along with a conditional 2015 second-round pick in exchange for New York captain Ryan Callahan, a 2015 first-round draft pick, a conditional 2014 second-round pick and a 2015 conditional seventh-round pick. The deal came subsequently after Stamkos had been cleared to return to the Lightning's active roster. St. Louis cited his decision based on his family and thanked Lightning fans for their support during his tenure with the franchise, but would not specify any further about the reasons leading to his request.[34]

text: On March 6, 2014, Steven Stamkos was named Tampa Bay's tenth captain in franchise history in his first game back after recovering from his tibia injury.[35]

text: On April 7, 2014, the team announced it had signed GM Steve Yzerman to a four-year contract extension.[36]

text: Finishing the season with 101 points, the Lightning placed second in the Atlantic Division, qualifying for the playoffs for the first time since 2011. However, Tampa Bay was eliminated in the first round of the Atlantic divisional semi-finals, losing to the Montreal Canadiens in a four-game sweep.[37]

text: On June 25, 2014, the Lightning agreed to terms with Ryan Callahan, who was slated to become a free agent in the off-season, signing him to a six-year, $34.8 million contract extension.[38] The same day, the Lightning used its remaining compliance buyout on forward Ryan Malone after his on-ice performance had declined from injuries seasons prior in addition to his off-ice troubles that included a DUI arrest before the end of the season.[39]

text: Second Stanley Cup Finals appearance[edit]

text: Finishing the 2014–15 season with 108 points, the Lightning placed second in the Atlantic Division and qualified for the playoffs for the second-straight season, scoring the most goals out of any team in the NHL. Tampa Bay eliminated the Detroit Red Wings in seven games in the first round of the playoffs before facing Montreal in the second round. The Lightning won the first three games of the series and had a chance to sweep the Canadiens, however Montreal responded with wins in Games 4 and 5 to extend the series to a sixth game. Tampa Bay won the sixth game of the series to eliminate the Canadiens and advance to the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 2011, facing the New York Rangers.

text: In the Eastern Conference Finals, the Lightning and the Rangers split the first two games of the series in New York, with the Lightning winning Game 2 of the series thanks to a Tyler Johnson hat-trick. The series then shifted to Tampa, where the Lightning had a come-from-behind overtime victory in Game 3 but lost Game 4 to even the series at two games apiece. During Game 5 in New York, goaltender Ben Bishop recorded his second shutout of the playoffs in a 2–0 victory, but the Rangers responded in Game 6 by scoring seven goals to tie the series at three games apiece. In Game 7, Bishop recorded his third shutout of the playoffs in another 2–0 victory against the Rangers to lead the Lightning to their first appearance in the Stanley Cup Finals since 2004. The Lightning not only became the first team to defeat the Rangers in a Game 7 at Madison Square Garden, but they also became the first team to successfully defeat three Original Six teams in the first three rounds of the playoffs.[40] The Lightning would face the Chicago Blackhawks in the Stanley Cup Finals, making it the first time a finalist faced four Original Six teams in the playoffs since the four-round format was introduced in 1980.[41] After losing Game 1 at home, the Lightning built a two games to one series lead, though the Blackhawks would win the following three games to win the Stanley Cup in six games at the United Center in Chicago. This made Tampa Bay the first team to beat three of the Original Six teams in the playoffs since the Pittsburgh Penguins completed the feat in 1992. However, they became the first team to lose the Stanley Cup Finals despite beating three Original Six teams.[42]

text: Continuing championship contention[edit]

text: Despite finishing with 46 wins and 97 points, the Lightning had a very slow start to the 2015–16 season. The 2015–16 season was filled with controversy for the Lightning, starting off with the contractual questions regarding team captain Steven Stamkos and with the former third overall pick Jonathan Drouin publicly requesting a trade and being suspended from the organization. The Lightning picked up their play at the beginning of the year 2016 and set the franchise record to nine consecutive wins on March 5, 2016, when Alex Killorn scored with 42.5 seconds remaining in overtime to propel the Lightning to a 4–3 victory over the Carolina Hurricanes at Amalie Arena. On March 26, 2016, the Lightning announced cornerstone defenseman Anton Stralman had suffered a fractured leg in their game against the New York Islanders at home. Tampa's fortunes would get even worse when Stamkos shockingly was out of the lineup for the team's game on April 2 against the New Jersey Devils in Tampa. Lightning GM Steve Yzerman announced after the game that the captain would miss one-to-three months due to a blood clot in his arm. Due to unfortunate circumstances, the team had no other option but to bring Drouin back to the team. The Lightning ended up finishing second in the Atlantic Division and would once again face the third-seeded Detroit Red Wings in the first round of the playoffs.

text: The Lightning ended up defeating the Red Wings in five games after winning 1–0 at Amalie Arena. Next up, the Islanders would face the Lightning. In Game 1, the Islanders defeated the Bolts 5–3. The Lightning would eventually answer back by winning four consecutive games in the series to defeat the Isles in five games, in large part due to back-to-back road overtime victories with goals scored by Brian Boyle and Jason Garrison. The Lightning were set to play against the Pittsburgh Penguins in the Eastern Conference Finals. In Game 1 at Consol Energy Center, star goaltender Ben Bishop would be added to the list of devastating injuries for the team as he left on a stretcher and did not return for the remainder of the series. Stralman would eventually return in Game 2. A back-and-forth series would eventually lead to a Game 7 showdown in Pittsburgh. Lightning captain Steven Stamkos surprisingly took warmups and was in the Lightning lineup after a long absence from blood clot surgery. However, it was not enough, as the Lightning would fall 2–1 against the Penguins, who went on to defeat the San Jose Sharks and win the Stanley Cup.

text: With the Lightning under the spotlight in the 2016 off-season, Drouin rescinded his trade request. Steve Yzerman would then announce on June 29 the team re-signed Stamkos to an eight-year, cap-friendly deal. He would then sign star defenseman Victor Hedman to an eight-year contract on July 1, along with a seven-year deal for Alex Killorn and a three-year deal for former first round pick, goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy.

text: The Lightning narrowly missed the playoffs in the 2016–17 season. Finishing with 94 points, they were beaten to the second wildcard by the Toronto Maple Leafs, with 95 points. The 2016–17 season for the Lightning was a host of injuries, mainly their captain, Steven Stamkos. Stamkos went down in the 17th game, against the Detroit Red Wings. It was revealed he suffered from a torn left meniscus, which put him out for the rest of the season. During the season, they traded goaltender Ben Bishop to the Los Angeles Kings, center Brian Boyle to the Toronto Maple Leafs, and forward Valtteri Filppula to the Philadelphia Flyers. However, there were positive signs as winger Nikita Kucherov emerged with 40 goals and goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy stepped up after Bishop left. The Lightning also showcased their young talent with rookie Brayden Point and promising AHL call-ups Yanni Gourde and Jake Dotchin. The Lightning bounced back with this talent in the last third of the season, but it was not enough as they missed the playoffs by one point.

text: In the off-season, the Lightning made a deal with the Montreal Canadiens to send Jonathan Drouin to their franchise in exchange for defensive prospect Mikhail Sergachev and a second-round pick in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft. They also signed defenseman Dan Girardi for two years and winger Chris Kunitz to a one year deal.

text: In the 2017–18 season, Steven Stamkos returned from injury, scoring 20 points in the first 10 games and assisting on 9 of Nikita Kucherov's 11.[43] The Lightning finished the 2017–18 season with a record of 54–23–5, finishing with 113 points. The Lightning won their first Atlantic Division title and first division title since the 2003–04 season, as well as securing the top seed in the Eastern Conference for the 2018 Stanley Cup playoffs. Andrei Vasilevskiy was nominated for the Vezina Trophy. Nikita Kucherov scored 100 points during the regular season, finishing third overall in the league. Steve Yzerman was once again nominated for the NHL General Manager of the Year Award. During the playoffs, the Lightning eliminated the New Jersey Devils in the first round and the Boston Bruins in the second round, both in five games. However, they were defeated in the Eastern Conference Finals by the eventual-Stanley Cup champions, the Washington Capitals, in seven games.

text: Radio and television[edit]

text: The Lightning radio broadcasts are on WFLA; the play-by-play announcer is Dave Mishkin, known for his energetic style and his tendency to shriek when the Lightning score. Phil Esposito is the color commentator for home games. Matthew Sammon is the pregame and intermission host. The Lightning television broadcasts can be seen on Fox Sports Sun. The television play-by-play announcer is Rick Peckham. The color commentator is Brian Engblom. The studio host is Paul Kennedy. Caley Chelios is the in-arena host and Lightning reporter. Former Lightning player Dave Andreychuk and former color commentator Bobby "The Chief" Taylor assist with the television pregame and postgame broadcasts.

text: On December 10, 2014, long-time color commentator Bobby "The Chief" Taylor announced he would be retiring from the broadcast booth at the end of the 2014–15 season. Taylor had served as the teams color commentator since the 1993–94 season, which was the team's second year of existence. Taylor cited that he desired to be home with his wife Jan more. Taylor said, "The road was starting to get a little stale," and "I've been traveling since I was 15, and that's a long time." However, Taylor announced that he is not completely stepping away from the team broadcasts. He will continue to serve as a sideline or studio analyst during the games on Fox Sports Sun for both home and away games. Taylor may also see sometime between the benches during broadcasts the following season. The Lightning have begun an immediate search for a replacement for Taylor for the coming season.[44]

text: On August 11, 2015, Fox Sports Sun, the regional television home of the Lightning, announced Brian Engblom as Taylor's replacement on color commentary for the 2015–16 season. Prior to joining Sun Sports, Engblom served as "Inside the glass" analyst on both NBC and NBC Sports Network, as well as the network's coverage of the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia. Engblom has served as an analyst on NHL Live, and also served as color analyst for Winnipeg Jets Games on TSN in Canada. Prior to being an announcer, Engblom played at the University of Wisconsin, and was Montreal's third pick, 22nd overall, in the 1975 NHL Entry Draft. He won three Stanley Cups with the Canadiens (1977–1979).[45]

text: Team colors and mascot[edit]

text: Since 2010, the Lightning colors have been blue, black and white. Their logo has been a stylized lightning bolt. This is the origin of one nickname for the team—the "Bolts."

text: Logo and jerseys[edit]

text: The original Lightning jerseys featured simple stripes on the sleeves and tail, and contrasting shoulders—black shoulders over a white jersey, and white shoulders over the black—with the alternate logo (a lightning bolt over the outline of the state of Florida). The underarm gussets included a feature referred to as "victory stripes"—a group of thin stripes, alternating in the team's colors (black-silver-blue on white, or white-blue-silver on black). For the 1996–97 season, the Lightning added a third jersey, primarily blue with a sublimated wave and rain design on the front and back, lightning bolts down the sleeves, a silver-gray shoulder yoke, and black gussets. The third jersey was retired after the 1998–99 season.

text: In their first two seasons, the Lightning used a stylized block font for player names, with gaps in the upper loops of letters such as A, B, D, and R. The numbers were standard block numbers with drop shadows. The fonts were vertical in 1992–93, and italicized in 1993–94. The following season, the name font changed to a block font, vertically arched, while the number font changed to a painted style resembling the letters "Tampa Bay" in the logo. This style was also used on the blue alternate in 1998–99, replacing an "electrified" number font used from 1996–98. In 2001–02, the old fonts were replaced with traditional block letters and numbers, which have been used ever since. They also darkened their shades of blue that season from a royal blue to a speed (Indy) blue.

text: As with all NHL teams for the 2007–08 season, the Lightning debuted in new Reebok "Rbk Edge" jerseys. Also, like several other NHL teams, the Lightning updated their team logo.

text: The Lightning unveiled their new logo on August 25, 2007. The logo was similar to the inaugural one, but with a more modern look. The new logo also kept the same theme as the previous one, but with the words "Tampa Bay" across the top now appearing with tall capital initials, and the word "Lightning" no longer appearing on the bottom of the logo.

text: The Edge jerseys use the same template adopted by the Ottawa Senators and Pittsburgh Penguins. Unlike those teams, the Lightning's elbow panels remain the base color of the jersey, and an additional blue panel is added near the cuff of the sleeve. The Edge uniforms retain the underarm gusset "victory stripes" of their predecessors.

text: The Lightning then debuted a new "alternate" or "third" jersey in the 2008–09 season. The jersey features a dominant "electric blue" color, with black and silver accents at the end of the sleeves. The logo is removed, and in its place emblazoned across the front of the jersey descending to the lower left of the jersey is the word "BOLTS" (utilizing a layout similar to that of the Ottawa Senators' third jersey). The numbers are featured on the back and sleeves only, using white lettering.[46]

text: It was reported on January 23, 2011, that the Lightning had filed paperwork with the NHL to change their logo and colors, beginning with the 2011–12 season.[47] The new logo, as well as the new home and away jerseys, were unveiled by the team at a press conference at the St. Pete Times Forum on January 31, 2011.[48] The Lightning began to integrate the new logo onto center ice, and even distributed free T-shirts with the simplified logo on February 4, 2011, while still using the old Lightning logo and uniforms.[49]

text: The current uniforms are made in a traditional hockey sweater design. Initially, the colors that were to be used were simply blue and white, but by popular demand, black was later added as a trim color on the numbers. The victory stripes were also eliminated. Despite the introduction of the new uniforms, the previous third jersey was retained, with the new simplified logo replacing the old logo in the shoulders prior to the 2012–13 season.

text: For the 2014–15 season, the Lightning announced that a new black third sweater will replace the existing "BOLTS" sweaters. The new sweaters were unveiled on September 27, 2014. It retained the "BOLTS" wordmark, while adding white accents in a similar manner as the Los Angeles Kings' sweaters. The secondary roundel logo also replaced the primary logo on the sleeves, while the city name was enscripted on the collar.

text: The Lightning made some minor tweaks to their current uniform set following the NHL's move to Adidas as its uniform provider in the 2017–18 season. The most notable change is the removal of the "TAMPA BAY" wordmark on the white away sweaters.

text: In-game personalities[edit]

text: Former United States Air Force technical sergeant Sonya Bryson-Kirksey sings the American national anthem at home games and she is accompanied by organist Krystof Srebrakowski.

text: ThunderBug[edit]

text: The Lightning mascot is a lightning bug named ThunderBug. He performs at games and makes appearances in the community. According to the Lightning website,[50] Thunderbug enjoys birthday parties, street hockey, ice hockey and Lightning fans, while his dislikes include flyswatters and bug zappers.

text: Lightning Girls[edit]

text: An official dance team known as the Lightning Girls perform at all home games and community events. The Tampa Bay Lightning Girls are a group of dancers who perform in the stands.[51]

text: Season-by-season record[edit]

text: This is a partial list of the last five seasons completed by the Lightning. For the full season-by-season history, see List of Tampa Bay Lightning seasons

text: Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, OTL = Overtime Losses, Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against

text:
Season
GP
W
L
OTL
Pts
GF
GA
Finish
Playoffs

2013–14
82
46
27
9
101
239
215
2nd, Atlantic
Lost in First Round, 0–4 (Canadiens)

2014–15
82
50
24
8
108
262
211
2nd, Atlantic
Lost in Stanley Cup Finals, 2–4 (Blackhawks)

2015–16
82
46
31
5
97
227
201
2nd, Atlantic
Lost in Conference Finals, 3–4 (Penguins)

2016–17
82
42
30
10
94
234
227
5th, Atlantic
Did not qualify

2017–18
82
54
23
5
113
296
236
1st, Atlantic
Lost in Conference Finals, 3–4 (Capitals)

text: Players[edit]

text: Current roster[edit]

text: viewtalkedit

text: Updated July 5, 2018[52][53]

text:
#

Nat

Player

Pos

S/G

Age

Acquired

Birthplace

7001150000000000000♠15

Andy Andreoff

LW/C

L

27

2018

Pickering, Ontario

7001240000000000000♠24

Ryan Callahan (A)

RW

R

33

2014

Rochester, New York

7001810000000000000♠81

Erik Cernak

D

R

21

2017

Košice, Slovakia

7001710000000000000♠71

Anthony Cirelli

C

L

21

2015

Woodbridge, Ontario

7001550000000000000♠55

Braydon Coburn

D

L

33

2015

Calgary, Alberta

7001890000000000000♠89

Cory Conacher

C/LW

L

28

2016

Burlington, Ontario

7001700000000000000♠70

Louis Domingue

G

R

26

2017

Mont-Saint-Hilaire, Quebec

7001590000000000000♠59

Jake Dotchin

D

R

24

2012

Cambridge, Ontario

7001730000000000000♠73

Adam Erne (RFA)

LW

L

23

2013

New Haven, Connecticut

7001490000000000000♠49

Cameron Gaunce

D

L

28

2018

Sudbury, Ontario

7000500000000000000♠5

Dan Girardi

D

R

34

2017

Welland, Ontario

7001370000000000000♠37

Yanni Gourde

LW

L

26

2014

Saint-Narcisse, Quebec

7001770000000000000♠77

Victor Hedman

D

L

27

2009

Örnsköldsvik, Sweden

7000900000000000000♠9

Tyler Johnson

C

R

27

2011

Spokane, Washington

7001170000000000000♠17

Alex Killorn

C

L

28

2007

Halifax, Nova Scotia

7001290000000000000♠29

Slater Koekkoek

D

L

24

2012

North Dundas, Ontario

7001860000000000000♠86

Nikita Kucherov

RW

L

25

2011

Moscow, Russia

7001270000000000000♠27

Ryan McDonagh

D

L

29

2018

St. Paul, Minnesota

7001100000000000000♠10

J. T. Miller

C/RW

L

25

2018

East Palestine, Ohio

7001180000000000000♠18

Ondrej Palat (A)

LW

L

27

2011

Frýdek-Místek, Czechoslovakia

7001130000000000000♠13

Cedric Paquette

C

L

24

2012

Gaspe, Quebec

7001210000000000000♠21

Brayden Point

C

R

22

2014

Calgary, Alberta

7001980000000000000♠98

Mikhail Sergachev

D

L

20

2017

Nizhnekamsk, Russia

7001910000000000000♠91

Steven Stamkos (C)

C

R

28

2008

Markham, Ontario

7000600000000000000♠6

Anton Stralman

D

R

31

2014

Tibro, Sweden

7001880000000000000♠88

Andrei Vasilevskiy

G

L

23

2012

Tyumen, Russia

text: Retired numbers[edit]

text:
Tampa Bay Lightning retired numbers

No.

Player

Position

Career

Date of retirement

4
Vincent Lecavalier
C
1998–2013
February 10, 2018[54]

26
Martin St. Louis
RW
2000–2014
January 13, 2017[55]

text: The NHL retired Wayne Gretzky's No. 99 for all its member teams at the 2000 NHL All-Star Game.[56]

text: Team captains[edit]

text:
Paul Ysebaert, 1995–1997
Mikael Renberg, 1997–1998
Rob Zamuner, 1998–1999
Bill Houlder, 1999
Chris Gratton, 1999–2000
Vincent Lecavalier, 2000–2001
Dave Andreychuk, 2002–2006
Tim Taylor, 2006–2008
Vincent Lecavalier, 2008–2013
Martin St. Louis, 2013–2014
Steven Stamkos, 2014–present

text: Honored members[edit]

text:
Tampa Bay Lightning Hall of Famers

Players

Name

Position

Career

Inducted

Dave Andreychuk
C
2001–2006
2017

Dino Ciccarelli
RW
1996–1998
2010

Mark Recchi
RW
2008–2009
2017

Denis Savard
C
1993–1995
2000

Martin St. Louis
RW
2000–2014
2018

text: NHL All-Star Team

text:
2003–04 – First Team: Martin St. Louis
2017–18 – First Team: Victor Hedman, Nikita Kucherov
2006–07 – Second Team: Martin St. Louis, Vincent Lecavalier, Dan Boyle
2009–10 – Second Team: Martin St. Louis
2010–11 – Second Team: Martin St. Louis, Steven Stamkos
2011–12 – Second Team: Steven Stamkos
2012–13 – Second Team: Martin St. Louis
2015–16 – Second Team: Ben Bishop
2016–17 – Second Team: Victor Hedman, Nikita Kucherov

text: NHL All-Rookie Team

text:
Brad Richards: 2000–01
Tyler Johnson: 2013–14
Ondrej Palat: 2013–14

text: All-Star Game

text:
Ben Bishop, G: 2016
Brian Bradley, C: 1993, 1994
Dino Ciccarelli RW: 1997
Wendel Clark LW: 1999
Jon Cooper HC: 2018
Roman Hamrlik, D: 1996
Victor Hedman, D: 2017, 2018
Tyler Johnson, C: 2015
Nikolai Khabibulin, G: 2002, 2003
Nikita Kucherov, RW: 2017, 2018
Pavel Kubina, D: 2004
Vincent Lecavalier, C: 2003, 2007, 2008 (captain), 2009
Fredrik Modin, LW: 2001
Brayden Point, C: 2018
Martin St. Louis, RW: 2003, 2004, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011 (alternate captain)
Steven Stamkos, C: 2011, 2012, 2015, 2016, 2018 (captain)
Petr Svoboda, D: 2000
Andrei Vasilevskiy, G: 2018

text: NHL YoungStars Game

text:
Brad Richards, C: 2002
Alexander Svitov, C: 2003
Paul Ranger, D: 2007
Mike Lundin, D: 2008
Steven Stamkos, C: 2009

text: NHL All-Star Skills Competition (Rookie)

text: Jonathan Drouin, LW: 2015

text: First-round draft picks[edit]

text:
1992: Roman Hamrlik (1st overall)
1993: Chris Gratton (3rd overall)
1994: Jason Wiemer (8th overall)
1995: Daymond Langkow (5th overall)
1996: Mario Larocque (16th overall)
1997: Paul Mara (7th overall)
1998: Vincent Lecavalier (1st overall)
1999: None
2000: Nikita Alexeev (8th overall)
2001: Alexander Svitov (3rd overall)
2002: None
2003: None
2004: Andy Rogers (30th overall)
2005: Vladimir Mihalik (30th overall)
2006: Riku Helenius (15th overall)
2007: None
2008: Steven Stamkos (1st overall)
2009: Victor Hedman (2nd overall), Carter Ashton (29th overall)
2010: Brett Connolly (6th overall)
2011: Vladislav Namestnikov (27th overall)
2012: Slater Koekkoek (10th overall), Andrei Vasilevskiy (19th overall)
2013: Jonathan Drouin (3rd overall)
2014: Anthony DeAngelo (19th overall)
2015: None
2016: Brett Howden (27th overall)
2017: Cal Foote (14th overall)
2018: None

text: Franchise scoring leaders[edit]

text: These are the top-ten-point-scorers in franchise history. Figures are updated after each completed NHL regular season.[57]

text: *  – current Lightning player

text: Note: Pos = Position; GP = Games Played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; P/G = Points per game

text:
Points

Player

Pos

GP

G

A

Pts

P/G

Martin St. Louis
RW
972
365
588
953
.98

Vincent Lecavalier
C
1037
383
491
874
.84

Steven Stamkos*
C
664
348
320
668
1.01

Brad Richards
C
552
150
339
489
.89

Vaclav Prospal
C
468
127
244
371
.79

Victor Hedman*
D
626
82
282
364
.58

Nikita Kucherov*
RW
365
147
187
334
.92

Brian Bradley
C
328
111
189
300
.91

Fredrik Modin
LW
445
145
141
286
.64

Tyler Johnson*
C
389
110
151
261
.67

Goals

Player

Pos

G

Vincent Lecavalier
C
383

Martin St. Louis
RW
365

Steven Stamkos*
C
348

Brad Richards
C
150

Nikita Kucherov*
RW
147

Fredrik Modin
LW
145

Vaclav Prospal
C
127

Brian Bradley
C
111

Tyler Johnson*
C
110

Chris Gratton
C
98

Assists

Player

Pos

A

Martin St. Louis
RW
588

Vincent Lecavalier
C
491

Brad Richards
C
339

Steven Stamkos*
C
320

Victor Hedman*
D
282

Vaclav Prospal
C
244

Brian Bradley
C
189

Dan Boyle
D
187

Nikita Kucherov*
RW
187

Pavel Kubina
D
171

text: Franchise playoff scoring leaders[edit]

text: These are the top-ten playoff point-scorers in franchise playoff history. Figures are updated after each completed NHL season.

text: *  – current Lightning player

text: Note: Pos = Position; GP = Games Played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; P/G = Points per game; * = current Lightning player

text:
Points

Player

Pos

GP

G

A

Pts

P/G

Martin St. Louis
RW
63
33
35
68
1.07

Nikita Kucherov*
RW
61
29
30
59
.96

Vincent Lecavalier
C
63
24
28
52
.82

Steven Stamkos*
C
66
22
29
51
.78

Tyler Johnson*
C
64
24
26
50
.79

Victor Hedman*
D
82
7
41
48
.59

Brad Richards
C
45
18
29
47
1.04

Ondrej Palat*
LW
63
20
21
41
.66

Alex Killorn*
C
64
20
20
40
.63

Valtteri Filppula
C
47
5
17
22
.46

Goals

Player

Pos

G

Martin St. Louis
RW
33

Nikita Kucherov*
RW
29

Vincent Lecavalier
C
24

Tyler Johnson*
C
24

Steven Stamkos*
C
22

Alex Killorn*
C
20

Ondrej Palat*
LW
20

Brad Richards
C
18

Ruslan Fedotenko
LW
12

Fredrik Modin
LW
10

Assists

Player

Pos

A

Victor Hedman*
D
41

Martin St. Louis
RW
35

Nikita Kucherov*
RW
30

Steven Stamkos*
C
29

Brad Richards
C
29

Vincent Lecavalier
C
28

Tyler Johnson*
C
26

Ondrej Palat*
C
21

Alex Killorn*
C
20

Dan Boyle
D
19

text: NHL awards and trophies[edit]

text: Stanley Cup

text: Prince of Wales Trophy

text:
2003–04
2014–15

text: Art Ross Trophy

text: Martin St. Louis: 2003–04, 2012–13

text: Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy

text: John Cullen: 1998–99

text: Conn Smythe Trophy

text: Brad Richards: 2003–04

text: Hart Memorial Trophy

text: Martin St. Louis: 2003–04

text: Jack Adams Award

text: John Tortorella: 2003–04

text: James Norris Memorial Trophy

text: Victor Hedman: 2017–18

text: King Clancy Memorial Trophy

text: Vincent Lecavalier: 2007–08

text: Lady Byng Memorial Trophy

text:
Brad Richards: 2003–04
Martin St. Louis: 2009–10, 2010–11, 2012–13

text: Lester B. Pearson Award

text: Martin St. Louis: 2003–04

text: Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy

text:
Vincent Lecavalier: 2006–07
Steven Stamkos: 2009–10 (shared with Sidney Crosby of the Pittsburgh Penguins), 2011–12

text: NHL Foundation Player Award

text: Vincent Lecavalier: 2007–08

text: NHL General Manager of the Year Award

text: Steve Yzerman: 2014–15

text: NHL Plus/Minus Award

text: Martin St. Louis: 2003–04  (shared with Marek Malik of the Vancouver Canucks)

text: Franchise records[edit]

text: Individual[edit]

text:
Most goals in a season: Steven Stamkos, 60 (2011–12)
Most assists in a season: Brad Richards (2005–06) and Martin St. Louis (2010–11), 68
Most points in a season: Vincent Lecavalier, 108 (2006–07)
Most goals in a season, defenseman: Dan Boyle, 20 (2006–07)
Most assists in a season, defenseman: Victor Hedman, 56 (2016–17)
Most points in a season, defenseman: Victor Hedman, 72 (2016–17)
Most penalty minutes in a season: Zenon Konopka, 265 (2009–10)
Most goals in a season, rookie: Yanni Gourde, 25 (2017–18)
Most assists in a season, rookie: Brad Richards, 41 (2000–01)
Most points in a season, rookie: Yanni Gourde, 64 (2017–18)
Most wins in a season: Andrei Vasilevskiy, 44 (2017–18)
Most shutouts in a season: Andrei Vasilevskiy, 8 (2017–18)

text: Team[edit]

text:
Largest home playoff attendance: 28,183 (ThunderDome – now Tropicana Field) (1995–96)
Most Points in a season: 113 (2017–18)
Most Wins in a season: 54 (2017–18)
Most Home Wins in a season: 32 (2014–15)
Most road Wins in a season: 25 (2017–18)
Most Wins in a row: 9 (2015–16)


document_title: When Calls the Heart

question_text: where does when call the heart take place

root

text: When Calls the Heart

text: Plot[edit]

text: When Calls the Heart tells the story of Elizabeth Thatcher (Erin Krakow), a young teacher accustomed to her high-society life. She receives her first classroom assignment in Coal Valley, a small coal-mining town in Western Canada which is located just south of Robb, Alberta. There, life is simple—but often fraught with challenges. Elizabeth charms most everyone in Coal Valley, except Royal North West Mounted Police Constable Jack Thornton (Daniel Lissing). He believes Thatcher’s wealthy father has doomed the lawman's career by insisting he be assigned in town to protect the shipping magnate’s daughter. The town of Coal Valley was renamed Hope Valley in Episode 1, Season 2 after the coal mine was closed.

tag: p

text: Living in this 1910 coal town, Elizabeth must learn the ways of the Canadian frontier movement if she wishes to thrive in the rural west on her own. Lori Loughlin portrays Abigail Stanton, whose husband, the foreman of the mine, and her only son—along with 45 other miners—have recently been killed in an explosion, which turns out to have been a tragic accident waiting to happen—a result of the mining-company site manager's irresponsible management and lack of due care in his management of the mine. The newly widowed women find their faith tested when they must go to work in the mine to keep a roof over their heads, food on the table, and compile a wage for the town's teacher.[10]

text: Episodes[edit]

text: SeasonEpisodesOriginally airedFirst airedLast aired112January 11, 2014 (2014-01-11)March 29, 2014 (2014-03-29)27April 25, 2015 (2015-04-25)June 13, 2015 (2015-06-13)New Year's WishDecember 26, 2015 (2015-12-26)38February 21, 2016 (2016-02-21)April 10, 2016 (2016-04-10)ChristmasDecember 25, 2016 (2016-12-25)410February 19, 2017 (2017-02-19)April 23, 2017 (2017-04-23)The Christmas Wishing TreeDecember 25, 2017 (2017-12-25)510February 18, 2018 (2018-02-18)April 22, 2018 (2018-04-22)

tag: table

text: Cast[edit]

text: Main[edit]

text:
Erin Krakow as Elizabeth Thatcher Thornton
Daniel Lissing as Jack Thornton (Seasons 1-5)
Lori Loughlin as Abigail Stanton
Jack Wagner as Bill Avery
Martin Cummins as Henry Gowen
Pascale Hutton as Rosemary LeVeaux Coulter
Kavan Smith as Leland Coulter

tag: ul

text: Recurring[edit]

text:
Paul Greene as Carson Shepherd
Andrea Brooks as Faith Carter
Eva Bourne as Clara Weller Stanton
Aren Buchholz as Jesse Flynn
Carter Ryan Evancic as Cody Hastings
Loretta Walsh as Florence Blakeley
Erica Carroll as Dottie Ramsey
Johannah Newmarch as Molly Sullivan
Mark Humphrey as Frank Hogan
Chelah Horsdal as Cat Montgomery
Mitchell Kummen as Gabe Montgomery
Gracyn Shinyei as Emily Montgomery
Logan Williams as Miles Montgomery
Ben Rosenbaum as Mike Hickam
Ava Grace Cooper as Opal
Charlotte Hegele as Julie Thatcher
Max Lloyd-Jones as Tom Thornton
Brooke Shields as Charlotte Thornton
Ali Skovbye as Becky Hastings
Garwin Sanford as William Thatcher
Lynda Boyd as Grace Thatcher
Devon Weigel as Viola Thatcher
Marcus Rosner as Charles Kensington
Josie Bissett as AJ Foster
Steve Bacic as Charles Spurlock
Kristina Wagner as Nora Avery
Mamie Laverock as Rosaleen Sullivan
Adrian Hough as Reverend Anderson
Will Verchere-Gopaulsingh as Caleb Dunbar
Laura Bertram as Mary Dunbar
Derek Hamilton as Dewitt Graves
Niall Matter as Shane Cantrell (season 4)
Spencer Drever as Cyrus Rivera (season 4)

text: Characters[edit]

text: This section may contain an excessive amount of intricate detail that may interest only a particular audience. Please help by spinning off or relocating any relevant information, and removing excessive detail that may be against Wikipedia's inclusion policy. (April 2018) (Learn how and when to remove this template message)

text:
Elizabeth Thatcher Thornton is an independent, strong-minded, passionate and dedicated young teacher from the city. The middle daughter of William and Grace Thatcher, Elizabeth has two sisters, older sister Viola and younger sister Julie.  Elizabeth was in her mid-20's when she found herself in Coal Valley, a small community on the Canadian frontier in need of a teacher, and quickly discovers it is not an easy place to live, lacking the creature comforts and luxuries of her privileged life with her family. She soon meets the newly appointed and charismatic Mountie Jack Thornton and develops an immediate dislike for him. However, over time they become good friends, and develop an obvious attraction to one another. In the final episode of season 1, "Prelude to a Kiss" (also titled as "Final Adieu"), after overcoming many obstacles throughout the season, Jack tells Elizabeth "You're the one, you're the only one" and they share a kiss. Throughout season 2, Elizabeth's feelings for Jack are high at times as well as low. Finally, in the season 2 finale, she admits that his job as a Mountie scares her. After being comforted both admitting that they love each other, Jack and Elizabeth kiss. Season 3 continues the love story of Jack and Elizabeth, all leading up to Jack's marriage proposal in season 4 "My Heart Will Go On." The two wed in season 5's "My Heart Is Yours." Just days into their marriage, Jack is given a new assignment and leaves. He is killed (offscreen) in season 5's "In My Dreams." In the season 5 finale, "Close to My Heart," Elizabeth finds out she is pregnant with Jack's baby.
Jack Thornton is a laid back country boy. Jack is the son of Mountie Thomas Thornton and his wife Charlotte Thornton. Jack has a younger brother, Tom (named after his father). As a Mountie and a man of stout character and integrity, he often finds himself protecting and saving people. In season 1's "A Telling Silence," Jack finds a basset hound whom he names Rip (after Rip Van Winkle) and takes home with him. A source of comfort and companion in the small town, Jack often goes to Rip when times in his life are difficult. In season 2's "With All My Heart," Rip, who's afraid of thunder, hides in the mine shafts during a storm. Jack and Elizabeth search for him; in their search, their relationship grows stronger. Upon his first meeting of Elizabeth, Jack developed an instant dislike and it appeared she irritated him. However, he grew to like and then fall madly and completely in love with her over time. In "Rules of Engagement" (S.1), it is revealed that Jack was briefly engaged to Rosemary LeVeaux when she comes looking for him. However, they have both changed and realize that they cannot have a relationship as they once did ever again. In "Prelude to a Kiss" (S.1), Jack found out that Elizabeth may be leaving Coal Valley. Taking her on a walk and giving her a framed picture of them that he had sketched, he asks her not to leave Coal Valley and tells her, "You're the one, you're the only one." She replied that she was "not going anywhere", Coal Valley was where she belonged before they share a kiss. In season 2, Elizabeth and Jack share a hot-and-cold relationship until the finale, "With All My Heart." They both admit that they love each other and share another kiss. Jack's brother, Tom, is introduced season 2's "Trials of the Heart," and their rocky relationship continues until "Coming Together, Coming Apart." Jack gently reminds his younger brother how their father was so proud of him, but he wouldn't be proud of the way he was currently living. Both in tears, Jack tells his younger brother that he believes in him and that he can turn his life around. More recently, Jack has become good friends with the sawmill operator, Lee Coulter. In season 3, Jack begins the new year knowing that Elizabeth only has eyes for him and that her relationship with Charles is over for good. In "Hearts In Question," Jack's mother Charlotte shows up unexpectedly. She meets Elizabeth and is suspicious of her, but through staying her sees Elizabeth for who she really is: a trustworthy, dedicated teacher. In the season finale, "Prayers From The Heart," Jack is injured in a flood. But he miraculously recovers in time to serve as Lee's best man at his wedding. Jack proposes to Elizabeth in season 4's "My Heart Will Go On," the night before he leaves for a new Mountie assignment. In season 5's "My Heart Is Yours," Jack and Elizabeth finally wed. Days into their new marriage, Jack receives a new assignment and leaves. He is killed (offscreen) in season 5's "In My Dreams," but his legacy will live on in his wife and their unborn child.
Abigail Stanton is a Coal Valley woman whose husband and son died in the mining accident. Abigail is a very kind woman, and she stands strongly for the things she believes in. She is one of the first women to welcome Elizabeth and the two women quickly become friends.  When Elizabeth accidentally burns down the little teacherage, Abigail gladly welcomes her into her home to live. After being complimented on her cooking, Abigail decides to open a cafe in Coal Valley. Together, Abigail and Elizabeth move into the rooms above the cafe. At the end of season 1, Abigail enjoys the company of Bill Avery, a Mountie, serving as a Forensic Investigator and friend of Jack Thornton's. In season 2, Abigail takes in her daughter-in-law, Clara, the wife of her late son Peter whom Abigail sees as the daughter she never had. With Bill's past being revealed, Abigail ends their friendship and spends more time with the new pastor, Frank Hogan.  Also, she is a strong independent woman that is set on doing the things that are right and tries to help Elizabeth. In season 3, Abigail takes in two orphans, Becky Hastings, and her younger brother Cody. In season 4's "Heart of A Fighter," Abigail legally adopts Becky and Cody. Abigail serves as one of Elizabeth's matrons of honor in season 5's "My Heart Is Yours."
Bill Avery is a mysterious, quiet man. He first appears in season 1's "Rules of Engagement," in order to help Jack expose Mr. Gowen's wrongdoings. Bill is immediately attracted to widow Abigail Stanton. Things are going well until Abigail discovers a picture of Bill's family and his wedding ring. He later tells her that his son died, as well as his wife. However, his wife, Nora, comes to confront him in season 2's "Heart's Desire."
Henry Gowen is a cold, cynical man who formerly owned the coal mine. After the mine was shut down, Henry became the mayor of Hope Valley and still creates a cold, cynical presence whenever people are around him. Henry is highly disliked and feared in the town. He frequently uses bribery to get what he wants, which is never for the good of the town. In season 5, however, Henry seems to be turning into a new man, coming to the aid of the town often and actually helping Bill catch a criminal red-handed in season 5's "In My Dreams."
Rosemary "Rosie" LeVeaux Coulter is a flamboyant, enthusiastic actress from New York. She was briefly engaged to Jack Thornton, but they both realized that it wouldn't work out. Rosie immediately disliked Elizabeth and viewed her as "the competition," but eventually came to really care about Elizabeth, even if she has a hard time showing it. At the beginning of season 2, Rosemary began working at the cafe with Abigail and the two quickly became friends. Spending time with Abigail helped tone down some of Rosemary's enthusiasm and made her a more likable person. Rosemary even came to like Elizabeth, even if only on an acquaintance level. Truthfully, she cares about everyone in Hope Valley, especially Lee, with whom she shares an mutual attraction. When Rosie is not spending time with Lee, talking to Abigail, or dreaming about the glamorous life of an actress, she can often be found somewhere writing her weekly advice column for Hope Valley's newspaper! In season 3, Rosemary's friendship with Elizabeth deepened. Instead of viewing her as an adversary, she finds a friend in Elizabeth. Throughout season 3, Rosemary's relationship with Lee becomes more romantic. In "Heart Of A Hero," seeing that Lee needs to spend more time at the sawmill to help the new settlers find jobs, Rosemary tells Lee that the theatre doesn't have to be built. He insists, but she says how important his job is. He smiles and tells her he will one day build her theatre, telling her that she is "the best part of his life." The couple shares in their first kiss. In "A Gentle Heart," Lee is injured. Thinking he is asleep, Rosemary pours out her heart to him, telling how much she loves him. In "Heartbreak," Rosemary is offered a job in Hollywood filming. This has always been Rosemary's dream, to be an actress. Lee unselfishly tells her to do whatever she feels best, but the thought of her leaving Hope Valley hurts him. Rosemary considers her options and realizes that her place is in Hope Valley, with Lee. Lee then tells her that he has another "role" that he thinks would be perfect for her and proposes marriage. She happily accepts. In "Hearts In Question," Rosemary enthusiastically plans for their wedding. The couple weds in the season 3 finale "Prayers From The Heart," with Elizabeth and Abigail as her maids of honor. Rosemary is one of Elizabeth's matrons of honor in season 5's "My Heart Is Yours."
Leland "Lee" Coulter is a kind, laidback, patient man who opens a sawmill in Hope Valley. When timber becomes Coal Valley's major source of natural resources, the town is renamed Hope Valley.  He shares a mutual attraction to Rosemary and proves to be one of the few people who can outwit her.  When she declines his romantic intentions, Lee recruits his friend, Molly Sullivan, to make Rosemary jealous; the ploy succeeds and Rosemary accepts his suit, appreciating Lee's good qualities.  Despite her dramatic and occasionally prickly personality, Lee's compassion and patience never fails with her.  With Rosemary's help, Lee beat Mr. Gowen at his own game in "Heart and Home."  When not at work, Lee enjoys being with friends, including Jack Thornton, who shares Lee's simple and laid back outlook, allowing the men to discuss their lives and exchange romantic advice. In season 3, Lee's mill is unfortunately sabotaged by a man inside. Through Bill and Jack's investigation, they find the culprit. In season 3's "Heart Of A Hero," Rosemary unselfishly gives up the theatre that Lee promised to build her. Lee promises that one day, he will build her the theatre at a time when he isn't so involved with the sawmill and finding people jobs. In "A Gentle Heart," Lee is injured. Thinking Lee is asleep, Rosemary pours out her heart to Lee, telling him how afraid she was when she heard he had been injured. He however hears each and every word. She told him how much she loves him and to never leave her. In the episode "Heartbreak," Lee thinks Rosemary may leave Hope Valley when she is offered a movie job in Hollywood. When she gives up the movie, seeing her future in Hope Valley with him, he asks her to marry him. The couple weds in the season 3 finale, "Prayers From The Heart." Jack serves the role of Lee's best man. Lee returns the honor for Jack in season 5's "My Heart Is Yours." In season 4's "Heart of A Fighter," we learn that Lee lost his brother Patrick at a young age.
Julie Thatcher is Elizabeth's hopeless romantic younger sister. She often gets herself into sticky situations by falling head over heels for men who aren't quite what they seem. In season 2 she gets involved with Jack's brother Tom, which causes trouble with her family and for Jack and Elizabeth's relationship.
Cat Montgomery is a kind, encouraging woman in Coal Valley. She is a widow and mother of three: Gabe, Miles, and Emily. Cat was one of the first mothers to show kindness to Elizabeth when she first came. She desperately wants her children to remember the good memories of their father as seen by her self-sacrificing acts in "Secrets and Lies."  Possessing a great sense of teamwork and encouragement, Cat supports the women of Coal Valley while working in the mines in "Cease and Desist." She is good friends with Elizabeth and Abigail. In "These Games," she also helps Jack catch a thief.
Florence Blakeley is a feisty gossip in Hope Valley. She often has a pessimistic perspective and always seems to find the negative, even in a very positive situation. In "Heart and Home," Abigail told Florence what she really thought about her, which causes Florence to rein in her negativity somewhat, though she remains fairly outspoken.  While not always likable, Florence adds spice to life in Hope Valley.
Molly Sullivan is a friend of Lee Coulter and Elizabeth Thatcher. Molly's husband was killed in the mine disaster. She has a daughter Rosaleen. In season 1's "A Telling Silence," Rosaleen has trouble in school because she misses her father so much. When she runs away, Elizabeth finds her in the mine, feeling guilty that she didn't bring her father his lunch the day of the disaster because she wanted to play with a friend instead. She fears her mother will blame her, but Elizabeth convinces her that Molly will "say that she loves her more than life itself." Molly is reunited with her daughter, to the joy of the town's people. In season 2's "With All My Heart," Lee feels it's time to "play hard to get" with Rosemary, so he enlists help from Molly. She pretends to be interested in him romantically. This ploy works and Rosemary admits that she does in fact like him. Molly is a kind woman and was among the first to welcome Elizabeth to town.
Clara Stanton is the wife of Abigail's late son Peter, and is a sweet, quiet, and sensitive young woman.  Abigail never knew she had a daughter-in-law until season 2's "Trials of the Heart;" with Peter having married Clara only three days before he was killed. In "Heart's Desire," Abigail invites Clara to come live with her in Hope Valley, an offer that Clara accepts.
Charles Kensington III is an old friend of Elizabeth with whom she reconnects while in Hamilton. He is interested in her, though her feelings for Jack get in the way of their relationship.

text: Production[edit]

text: The series, originally planned to be filmed in Colorado, is filmed south of Vancouver, British Columbia, on a farm surrounded by vineyards. The fictional frontier town of Coal Valley was erected in late 2013. Some of the set trimmings and a stage coach came from the Hell on Wheels set.[11] The Thatcher home is the University Women's Club of Vancouver.[12]

text: The series was renewed for a second season,[13] which aired from April 25 to June 13, 2015. Hallmark Channel announced in July 2015 that the series had been renewed for a third season, which aired from February 21 to April 10, 2016,[14] with a sneak peek airing during the 2015 Christmas season.[15]

text: In mid-2016, it was announced that Season 4 would premiere on the Hallmark Channel Christmas Day with a two-hour special. On April 11, 2016, Lissing and Krakow announced via the series' Facebook page that Hallmark Channel had renewed the series for a fourth season, which aired from February 19 to April 23, 2017.[16][17]

text: Filming for season five began in Vancouver on August 22, 2017, and ended on December 21, 2017.[18][19]

text: Broadcast[edit]

text: The first season of the series was subsequently picked up by CBC Television for rebroadcast as a summer series in 2015.[20] The network has since aired all five seasons.[21][22] The series became available internationally on Netflix in August 2017.


document_title: Compulsory figures

question_text: when did they remove figures from figure skating

text: Compulsory figures

text: In competition[edit]

text: Until 1947, competitors at figure skating events were required to skate a total of twelve figures (six different figures skated on both feet) which were worth 60% of the total score. With the increasing number of entrants, figures competitions (which were then skated outdoors) began to take a very long time, so in 1948 the number of figures was reduced to six (alternating left and right foot starts) while retaining their weight at 60%. This competition format continued until 1968.

text: Pressure to reduce the weight of compulsory figures began when the Olympic Games and other skating competitions began to be widely shown on television. Figures were not considered appealing or exciting to television audiences. Completion of the figures and their analysis by the judges could last eight hours at the World Championships.[1] In addition, skaters who excelled at compulsory figures were often not the most talented at free skating, but sometimes accumulated such a large lead from the school figures that they won the competitions overall. Such results would often leave general viewers stunned because they had watched only the free skating and had little or no knowledge of the compulsory figures.

text: A reform was undertaken to put more emphasis on the free skating. The first step was taken in 1968, when figures were reduced to 50% of the total score.[2] In 1973, the number of figures was reduced from six to three, and a new segment, the short program, was added to competitions.[2] Despite the reduction, figures often began at 8 am at ISU Championships, such as 1975 Worlds and 1983 Europeans.[3][4] In 1983, skaters would often spend almost twice as much time practicing figures, up to five hours a day, as they did practicing their free skating.[4]

text: From 1973 to 1975, the weights of compulsory figures, short program, and free skating were 40%, 20%, and 40%, respectively. From 1976 to 1988, this changed to 30%, 20%, and 50%. In June 1988, the proportions were changed to 20%, 30%, and 50% for the 1988–89 and 1989–90 seasons.[5] In addition, ISU member nations voted 27–4 to eliminate compulsories entirely from international competition after July 1990.[5] Less practice ice being available in Europe meant that most European nations voted in favor of abolition.[2] The United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and New Zealand voted to retain figures.[5]

text: Opponents of figures said they held back talented skaters such as Janet Lynn and Midori Ito, while supporters said they instilled discipline and produced higher quality of basic skating technique.[2][6] In 1980, ISU president Jacques Favart stated that figures "are a waste of time and they prevent ice skaters from being more creative".[4] With less coaching and ice time required, Hugh Graham, president of U.S. Figure Skating, estimated that skaters' expenses would be reduced by at least 50% after abolition.[5] In the summer of 1997, U.S. Figure Skating voted to end domestic competitions in figures after the 1997–98 season.[2]

text:
"In my opinion, the quality of skating itself (not jumping) has gone down. Figures taught how to use edges, like Robin Cousins and Brian Boitano still do, that with a couple of pushes they can get across the whole rink. You don't see that with the new skaters."[6]

—1984 Olympic bronze medalist Jozef Sabovčík speaking in 2003 on the effect of the elimination of figures.

text: Compulsory figures are no longer a major competitive event and few competitive skaters have the interest to learn how to do them. Some adult recreational skaters, however, still find pleasure in the control and mental stamina required to master figures and the Ice Skating Institute (ISI) still holds competitions and events that require multiple levels of proficiency. Compulsory figures also remain a part of artistic roller skating. The inaugural World Figure Championship & Figure Festival[7] was held in August 2015 in Lake Placid, New York[8] under the auspices of the World Figure Sport Society.[9] In 2017 the championship was expanded to include "Fancy Skating" as a separate event.

text: Terminology[edit]

text: Figures are composed of either two or three circular lobes. The simplest figure, the circle eight, consists of a circle skated on an edge on one foot tangent to another circle skated on the corresponding edge on the other foot. The place where the circles meet is called the center, and a line through the center of the circles is called the axis or long axis. The change of foot at the center is accomplished by a thrust from the former skating foot onto a strike by the new skating foot at the point of intersection of the two circles (the short axis).

text: More complex two-lobed figures include a three turn or bracket turn at the halfway point on each circle, or a double three – two three turns placed symmetrically to divide the lobe into thirds.

text: The most basic three-lobed figure is the serpentine, skated by doing half a circle on the middle lobe and a change of edge on the same foot to complete the full circle at the end; and then repeating on the other foot to complete the figure. Variations on the three-lobed figures include placing a rocker or counter turn at the centers instead of a simple change of edge, or combining a change of edge with the turns in the ordinary two-lobed figures.

text: A paragraph figure is an advanced two-lobed figure skated entirely on one foot, with a change of edge at the center. The entire figure is then repeated on the other foot over the original tracing.

text: Most figures are skated on circles about three times the skater's height. However, a special class of figures, the loops, are done on much smaller circles, about five feet in diameter – approximately the height of the skater. Here the skater curves sharply inward at the top of the circle to make a teardrop-shaped loop tracing about a blade-length wide (similar to a limaçon with an inner loop). The basic loop is a two-lobed figure, but like the other two-lobed figures it also has more difficult serpentine and paragraph variants.

text: Practice of compulsory figures is sometimes referred to as "patch" because each skater is assigned a defined area (or patch of ice) on which to skate.

text: Classification[edit]

text: Figures were formerly identified by these numbers in the rulebook. Each figure has several variants depending on which foot, edge, and direction is used to start the figure.

text:
[1-4] Circle Eight
[5-6] Serpentine
[7-9] Three
[10-13] Double Three
[14-17] Loop
[18-19] Bracket
[20-21] Rocker
[22-23] Counter
[24-25] One Foot Eight
[26-27] Change Three
[28-29] Change Double Three
[30-31] Change Loop
[32-33] Change Bracket
[34-35] Paragraph Three
[36-37] Paragraph Double Three
[38-39] Paragraph Loop
[40-41] Paragraph Bracket

text: ISI-specific figures[edit]

text: The Ice Skating Institute includes in its highest test level a number of figures from outside the ISU standard rulebook:

text:
"Rocker Double Three" is essentially a "rocker" (ISU 20-21) with "double-three" (ISU 10-13, 28-29, 36-37) outer lobes
"Paragraph Bracket Loop," is a figure with a one full-size lobe, with a bracket turn, and one loop-size lobe, with a loop
"Loops to the Outside" has two loop-sized lobes (with the loops skated outside the lobes instead of inside) on either end of a full-sized central lobe
"The Flower," which has four loop-sized lobes (again, with the loops on the outside of the lobes) enclosed (at the 0, 90, 180, and 270 degree points) within a large outer lobe, with alternating three and bracket turns (at the 45, 135, 225, and 315 degree points).

text: The ISI has also offered "creative figure" and "free figure" events, in which the skaters skate figures of their own design (which must be submitted to the judges in advance, on paper). They differ from each other mainly in judging emphasis.

text: The ISI publishes figures information and diagrams in the ISI Skaters & Coaches Handbook. In ISI testing and competitions, figures are treated as completely separate and independent events from free skating events, with their own separate test levels and awards. There is no requirement for ISI skaters to enter both free skating and figure events, and relatively few do so.

text: Judging[edit]

text: The criteria that are used to judge figures include:

text:
The circles are perfectly round, without wobbles, flats, bulges, or curling inward.
All the circles in the figure are the same size.
The turns on a figure are lined up with the central axis, and the circles themselves also all line up.
The turns are symmetrical in shape and executed on true edges without scraping or "flats".
Loops are shaped like loops, and not circular or pointed.

text: Judges normally stand on the ice, off to one side, to watch the execution of the figure. When the skater has finished, the judges typically check the alignment of the figure from different angles, peer closely at the tracings of the turns, and pace off the diameters of the circles to check their sizes.

text: Equipment[edit]

text: Compulsory figures require a blade that is less sharp than that used for free skating in order to achieve finer control over the edges and turns. A figure sharpening has a shallower hollow, which prevents accidental "flats" caused by touchdown of the other edge. Blades for compulsory figures don't need the large toe picks necessary for jumping, so blades made specifically for skating compulsory figures have toe picks that are smaller and sometimes placed higher on the front of the blade than free skating blades; this helps the skater avoid accidentally dragging the toe picks on the ice. Compulsory figures also do not require the extremely stiff boots used in free skating to support the foot and ankle on jumps. When compulsory figures were a regular part of competition, many skaters simply recycled their old worn-out "freestyle" boots and blades for figures by grinding down the bottom toe pick and having the blades sharpened for figures.

text: A device called a scribe – essentially, a large compass – is commonly used as an aid for learning and practicing figures. It is used to lay out the initial shape of a figure and to check the shape and size of circles already skated, and as a straightedge to check the alignment and placement of the turns. However, scribes are not permitted in competition, nor may skaters rely on painted markings on the ice, usually meant for ice hockey rinks (such as faceoff spots, circles and the red and blue centre/zone division lines) to align their figures.