From Wayne Gretzky’s brief stint with the St. Louis Blues to Guy Lafleur’s time with the Quebec Nordiques, some NHL players just look strange wearing certain jerseys.
You can add Steven Stamkos to that list.
After wearing mostly electric blue, black and silver for the past 16 years, seeing the former Tampa Bay Lightning captain in mustard-yellow is a look that the hockey world — and his former teammates — will have to get used to.
“It’s just different,” Victor Hedman said of seeing Stamkos in a Nashville Predators jersey.
In our newest issue, we say goodbye and celebrate the lives of Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau.
We also look at the biggest names to change teams this summer, including Stamkos, Guentzel, DeBrusk and more. Plus a 1974 Summit Series 50th anniversary rewind:
In our newest issue, we say goodbye and celebrate the lives of Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau.
— The Hockey News (@TheHockeyNews) September 9, 2024
We also look at the biggest names to change teams this summer, including Stamkos, Guentzel, DeBrusk and more. Plus a 1974 Summit Series 50th anniversary rewind: https://t.co/smKk3NQdgQ pic.twitter.com/afvAZnwFnp
“Obviously, I’ve had some time to dissect and spent some time with Stammer a few weeks ago at a wedding, so that was super nice,” Hedman added during this week’s NHL/NHLPA Player Media Tour in Las Vegas.
“Listen, obviously we’re going to miss Steven Stamkos. But me, personally, more as a friend and not having him next to me on the plane and sharing meals on the road and whatnot. We’ve done that for 15 years. That’s going to be a big change.”
There was a lot of change in Tampa Bay this summer.
Along with Stamkos, who left as a free agent, the team also traded Mikhail Sergachev to Utah at the draft and then brought in Jake Guentzel, as well as Ryan McDonagh.
During that time, Hedman also signed a four-year extension that should keep the Lightning as a championship threat until at least the 2028-29 season.
“It was a whirlwind, emotional in all kinds of ways,” said Hedman. “You know, highs for myself. Obviously, to get to stay and hopefully finish out my career down there. But I was looking forward to doing that together with 'Stammer.' But it is what it is… I still think that we have a team to be real good this year.”
How good is up for debate. While the Lightning finished fourth in the Atlantic Division standings and haven’t won a playoff round since losing in the Cup final in 2022, the team’s championship window is still as open as it’s ever been.
After all, the core is still relatively intact. The Lightning lost Stamkos and Sergachev, but they still have Hedman, Andrei Vasilevskiy in net and Brayden Point and Nikita Kucherov up front leading the offense. The latter just finished last season with a league-high 144 points.
To that impressive group, Tampa Bay now adds defensemen J.J. Moser and McDonagh and left winger Guentzel, who is four years younger than Stamkos and arguably an even more dangerous sniper at this point in his career.
“The standards are going to be high,” Hedman said. “We’ve got one of the best goalies in the world, arguably one of the best forwards in the world in 'Kuch.' We still have a great team. That’s the bottom line.
“It’s time for us to take over — not as players, but as leaders. It’s got to be a collective effort to kind of step up in the absence of 'Stammer.' So everyone’s got to come out of their comfort zone a little bit and take more of a leadership role.”
To that end, don’t be surprised if Hedman is wearing the ‘C’ next season.
“Obviously, I consider myself a leader on the team,” said Hedman. “I feel it wouldn’t change the way I am, the way I do things, if I receive a ‘C’ or an ‘A’ on my jersey. But it is a privilege to be a captain in the National Hockey League, and we’ll cross that bridge if it comes to that.”
