Nikita Kucherov, Andrei Vasilevskiy highlight Lightning’s NHL quarter-century team

The NHL has unveiled its quarter-century team for the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Representing the best players to have suited up for the Bolts over the past 25 years, the first team is headlined for forwards Nikita Kucherov, Steven Stamkos, and Martin St. Louis, defensemen Dan Boyle and Victor Hedman, and goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy.

Skating in his 12th season with the Lightning, Kucherov’s time in Tampa Bay has been underscored by back-to-back Stanley Cup championships in 2020 and 2021. In all, through 771 career contests, Kucherov has collected 343 goals and 603 assists for 946 points, highlighted by two-time Art Ross Trophy recognition as the league’s regular-season leading scorer. Kucherov’s scoring prowess has continued over to the playoffs where through 147 postseason appearances he has registered 167 points.

For Stamkos, the former Lightning captain spent 16 seasons in Tampa Bay, which like Kucherov were underscored by consecutive Stanley Cup wins. A gifted goal scorer, Stamkos twice captured the Maurice ‘Rocket’ Richard Trophy during his time in Tampa Bay. Stamkos remains the franchise’s all-time leading scorer with 1,137 points counting 555 goals and 582 assists through 1,082 appearances.

Spending 13 seasons with the Lightning from 2000-14, St. Louis collected no shortage of accolades during his time with the franchise, underscored by the team’s first-ever Stanley Cup win in 2004. En route to the championship, St. Louis finished second in Lightning scoring with 24 points in 23 outings. That same season, St. Louis also took home the Hart Trophy as regular season MVP. A two-time Art Ross Trophy winner with the Lightning, St. Louis sits second in franchise scoring with 953 points in 972 games.

Part of the Lightning for six seasons from 2001-08, Boyle hoisted the Stanley Cup with Tampa Bay in 2004, posting two goals and eight assists for 10 points in the memorable playoff run. Through 394 regular-season appearances with the Lightning, Boyle sits third in all-time scoring among defensemen with 253 points counting 66 goals and 187 assists.

The current captain of the Lightning, Hedman is the franchise’s all-time leading scorer among defensemen and fifth overall with 768 points coming in 1,098 games. Joining the Lightning following his second-overall selection in the 2009 NHL Draft, Hedman’s ensuing 16 seasons have seen him twice hoist Lord Stanley, underscored by the 2020 championship when he claimed the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP after posting 22 points in 25 playoff outings. In 2017-18, Hedman was named the NHL’s Defenseman of the Year, a season in which he tallied 63 points in 77 contests.

The Lightning’s all-time winningest goaltender, Vasilevskiy has recorded 313 career victories. Winning two Stanley Cups with the Lightning, the latter year also saw Vasilevskiy recognized with the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP after he posted a .937 save percentage and 1.90 goals-against average plus five shutouts en route to the championship. In 2018-19, Vasilevskiy took home the Vezina Trophy following a campaign in which he found the win column 39 times in only 53 outings coupled with a .925 save percentage and 2.40 goals-against average.

The Lightning’s second team includes forwards Vincent Lecavalier, Brayden Point, and Brad Richards, defensemen Pavel Kubina and Ryan McDonagh, and goaltender Ben Bishop.

The first-overall selection from the 1998 NHL Draft, Lecavalier spent the first 14 seasons of his career with the Lightning, underscored by the club’s 2004 Stanley Cup title. Among his other accomplishments, in 2006-07, Lecavalier was recognized with the Maurice ‘Rocket’ Richard Trophy after pacing the NHL with 40 goals. Lecavalier sits fourth in franchise scoring with 874 points in 1,037 appearances.

Skating in his ninth season with the Lightning, Point is a two-time Stanley Cup champion who has totaled 623 appearances in Tampa Bay in which he has registered 291 goals and 313 assists for 604 points. Along the way, Point has carried that productivity into the postseason where through 87 playoff outings he has collected 87 points.

The Conn Smythe Trophy winner as playoff MVP when the Lightning hoisted their first-ever Stanley Cup in 2004, that spring saw Richards power the club with 26 points in 23 games en route to the championship. In all, through seven seasons with the Lightning, Richards made 552 appearances that saw him record 150 goals and 339 assists for 489 points to rank seventh all-time in franchise scoring.

Seeing two separate stints with the Lightning totaling 10 seasons, Kubina helped Tampa Bay claim the Stanley Cup in 2004, a season in which he recorded 35 points in 81 outings before adding another four points in 22 postseason appearances. Kubina ranks fourth all-time among Lightning defensemen with 243 points in 662 games.

Now in his second tour of duty with the Lightning following a previous five-year stint, McDonagh has twice captured the Stanley Cup with Tampa Bay. A steady defensive presence, McDonagh has also shined offensively where through 315 regular-season appearances he has recorded 21 goals and 92 assists for 113 points.

Part of the Lightning for five seasons, Bishop collected 131 victories to rank second all-time in franchise wins, behind only Vasilevskiy. In all, Bishop’s time in Tampa Bay was highlighted by the 2014-15 campaign when he won 40 of 62 outings before leading the club to the 2015 Stanley Cup Final. In all, Bishop averaged a .921 save percentage and 2.28 goals-against average through 227 regular-season games with Tampa Bay.