Tampa Bay Lightning honor Steven Stamkos with tribute video

Credit: Oct 10, 2024; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Nashville Predators center Steven Stamkos (91) awaits the face off against the Dallas Stars during the first period at Bridgestone Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images

It was Steven Stamkos night in Tampa Bay tonight as the former Lightning captain made his return to Amalie Arena as a member of the Nashville Predators.

The Lightning gave him a three-minute tribute video, with the crowd roaring as an emotional Stamkos took the ice and waved to fans during the standing ovation.

Here's Tampa's full tribute video with Steven Stamkos looking on, clearly emotional.

Then he gives a skate for the crowd, looks like with tears in his eyes.

What a moment. pic.twitter.com/aepPDyW9PR

— Alex Daugherty (@AlexDaugherty1) October 28, 2024

This past summer, hockey fans were shocked when Tampa Bay did not re-sign Stamkos, who was their captain and led the franchise to two back-to-back Stanley Cup championships. The veteran forward signed with Nashville on a four-year contract. The deal carries an $8 million cap hit through the 2027-28 season.

Stamkos spent 16 seasons with the Lightning organization. He was selected No. 1 overall in the 2008 NHL Draft. In 1,082 games with Tampa, the 34-year-old has scored 555 goals and 582 assists for 1,137 points. Stamkos is the Lightning’s franchise leader in goals and points and was just six assists behind current Montreal Canadiens head coach Martin St. Louis for the most in team history.

In 79 games during the 2023-24 campaign, Stamkos scored 40 goals and 84 points, marking the sixth time in his career he has hit the 40-goal plateau. The Markham, Ontario native has hit the 50-goal mark twice, accomplishing the feat in 2009-10 with 51, and notching 60 during the 2011-12 season, winning the Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy in both seasons.

So far this season, Stamkos has tallied one goal in eight games as the Predators have had a struggling start to the season putting up a 3-5-0 record. Stamkos has been rotating on lines but according to Daily Faceoff’s line combinations, he was skating on the second line with Tommy Novak and Gustav Nyquist.

“The very first time I walked into the rink it was for a press conference. I went in through the security entrance where we come in before practices, and I couldn’t believe it: There were hundreds of employees lined up all the way down the hall, clapping for me as I walked by,” Stamkos, wrote in a farewell to the fans back in July. “I’ll always remember how that made me feel, how welcome I felt. That’s really stuck with me. I felt connected to the organization right away. And that connection never left me.”