OT: Where are you from?

[These Are The Days]

I grew up in Vancouver. Been in Japan now for 30 plus years. Never been to Florida but I did have a minor role with the Bolts at one time.

Oh shit! The OG Japanese ownership group?

 

[These Are The Days]

Literally 50 feet from the ocean.

Were there ever pirates too? Serious/not serious. If the answer is yes then your conversion was destiny

 

[Ducati Boy]

Oh shit! The OG Japanese ownership group?

I wish I had that kind of cash.

What I do have, however, is Stammer’s (intended) draft day hat. I’ll be wearing it tonight.

 

[Five Alarm Fire]

I live just outside of Toronto. My family is full of snowbirds, and I gravitated towards the Lightning as a kid.

 

[Ducati Boy]

I live just outside of Toronto. My family is full of snowbirds, and I gravitated towards the Lightning as a kid.

Geez, you’re almost in the belly of the beast.

 

[DFC]

Were there ever pirates too? Serious/not serious. If the answer is yes then your conversion was destiny

Yes.

 

[These Are The Days]

Yes.

One of us one of us. Gooble gobble

 

[Five Alarm Fire]

Geez, you’re almost in the belly of the beast.

I've always dreaded a Toronto-Tampa series but it's been a lot of fun so far. Got a ton of messages from friends and family before game 6, and I haven't heard a peep from anyone since.

 

[JoVel]

If you grew up near water you're one of us

Does living next to a ~500 square meter lake until I was 8 count? I think that should count.

Not in Florida of course, but on the other side of the Atlantic.

 

[These Are The Days]

Does living next to a ~500 square meter lake until I was 8 count? I think that should count.

Not in Florida of course, but on the other side of the Atlantic.

A little more about me. About half an hour from Tampa is a region where I grew up and there has got to be at least 10-20 lakes matching your description all bunched together and lived with a lake in the back yard til I was 8 too. I have always said if it snowed here every kid would've been playing hockey exactly like in places like Minnesota.

That said, your cause to be a Lightning fan is no less than mine

 

[JoVel]

A little more about me. About half an hour from Tampa is a region where I grew up and there has got to be at least 10-20 lakes matching your description all bunched together and lived with a lake in the back yard til I was 8 too. I have always said if it snowed here every kid would've been playing hockey exactly like in places like Minnesota.

That said, your cause to be a Lightning fan is no less than mine

I lived, quite literally, in the middle of nowhere at that time. To the point where if you wanted food, it might've very well been faster to try catch a fish or two from said lake or shoot a bird from the sky and cook them than driving to the nearest store and back. Would've taken an hour at least.

I wish I had a cool story of how I became a Lightning fan like everyone else does but no, it was through freaking EA's NHL games.

A childhood friend of mine became a Red Wing fan because he had the same tooth missing as Brendan Shanahan in a hockey card he owned, lol.

 

[These Are The Days]

I lived, quite literally, in the middle of nowhere at that time. To the point where if you wanted food, it might've very well been faster to try catch a fish or two from said lake or shoot a bird from the sky and cook them than driving to the nearest store and back. Would've taken an hour at least.

I wish I had a cool story of how I became a Lightning fan like everyone else does but no, it was through freaking EA's NHL games.

A childhood friend of mine became a Red Wing fan because he had the same tooth missing as Brendan Shanahan in a hockey card he owned, lol.

My story isn't any more fascinating. We didn't have cable TV of any kind and had to wait for Tampa to have a nationally televised broadcast against Philadelphia in the conference finals to see a Lightning game ever in 2004. I hopped on the bandwagon and did not look back.

My first exposure to hockey? The 2000 Cup Finals between the Devils and Stars. A 0-0 game that went into like 2/3 overtimes until it was won 1-0 in the most anticlimactic fashion ever

I tried to watch it and it was SO bad. I ended up turning it off because NOTHING happened. Like not even shots on goal. Minutes on end of someone dumping it, the other team gets it, skates to center and dumps it in. If it wasn't for the Disney movies (Mighty Ducks) I may never have even tried to look again but thankfully it left such a positive impression that 2004 was able to happen at all

 

[StammerHammer]

I was born and raised in the Detroit area. The wife, kids and I moved to Florida in 81. We're south of Tampa. Of course due to where we lived I was a Wings fan and that didn't change until I went to three Lightning playoff games in 2004. From that point on it was all Lightning. What a fun ride it's been.

 

[These Are The Days]

Oh yeah and f*** Brett Hull for ever insinuating that 90's goal scoring dropped because of expansion teams. That was the ONLY thing that kept guys like Jagr at 140 point seasons. And what do you know? That's what we're seeing because of expansion! And what do you know? Scoring is up league wide!

It was not bad players. It was the trap, two line pass and goalies being a 3rd defenseman. Talent was further diluted in that and the teams that DID win titles had like 7 HHOFers on them at all times while everyone else had to resort to plugging in goons who could play the 6 goalie system.

f***ing moron. My first NHL game (with you in it) ought to have been my last and your defense of why we could have 0-0 hockey for 3 overtimes with that many legends on the ice (yourself included) is bullshit

 

[Major4Boarding]

Love this forum, and the discussions/arguments we have. Sometimes I feel like an honorary Tampa Bay...ian?

You are indeed, DFC

 

[Matthew Carle]

From Finland, Europe. Living in a countryside in a small city with about 10k habitants.

 

[HoseEmDown]

Just like half the people in this state I'm originally from New York then moved to Florida in 97. Been in the Orlando area all but 2 years since. Started watching on the old Sun sports when the team was almost unwatchable, when you have to cheer for Darcy Tucker because he's the best player you know they suck. Started to go to games when they got Lecavalier and tickets were dirt cheap.

 

[Fabiobest]

I live in Turin, Italy, the city that hosted the Winter Olympics in 2006.

 

[Felonious Python]

Oh yeah and f*** Brett Hull for ever insinuating that 90's goal scoring dropped because of expansion teams. That was the ONLY thing that kept guys like Jagr at 140 point seasons. And what do you know? That's what we're seeing because of expansion! And what do you know? Scoring is up league wide!

It was not bad players. It was the trap, two line pass and goalies being a 3rd defenseman. Talent was further diluted in that and the teams that DID win titles had like 7 HHOFers on them at all times while everyone else had to resort to plugging in goons who could play the 6 goalie system.

f***ing moron. My first NHL game (with you in it) ought to have been my last and your defense of why we could have 0-0 hockey for 3 overtimes with that many legends on the ice (yourself included) is bullshit

Expansion might be part of it, but we're seeing skill increase (Michigan goals are becoming regular), and roster disruptions early on from COVID.

It probably doesn't help that coaches pull the goalie really early now and there's another 3 goals per game.

90s expansion was drastic. 21 to 30 teams over the decade, with the US and Europe producing a smaller percentage of NHL players.

 

[BowDownToVasilevskiy]

I lived, quite literally, in the middle of nowhere at that time. To the point where if you wanted food, it might've very well been faster to try catch a fish or two from said lake or shoot a bird from the sky and cook them than driving to the nearest store and back. Would've taken an hour at least.

I wish I had a cool story of how I became a Lightning fan like everyone else does but no, it was through freaking EA's NHL games.

A childhood friend of mine became a Red Wing fan because he had the same tooth missing as Brendan Shanahan in a hockey card he owned, lol.

I am not sure if I have a cool story either, I became a Bolts fan because of Martin St. Louis and Steven Stamkos. The EA NHL games made me a lot more interested in prospects and stuff though. Living up in Alberta most people I know are Oilers or Flames fans. I do owe my Lightning fandom to Stamkos and St. Louis though

 

[Byrddog]

Nashville area. Spent a lot of time in Fl during military career. Was a season ticket holder for Preds for years and have followed the Bolts since the First Cup. Played the game almost 50 years ago.

 

[Stammertime91]

Just like half the people in this state I'm originally from New York then moved to Florida in 97. Been in the Orlando area all but 2 years since. Started watching on the old Sun sports when the team was almost unwatchable, when you have to cheer for Darcy Tucker because he's the best player you know they suck. Started to go to games when they got Lecavalier and tickets were dirt cheap.

Yeah then the years where plugs like Brian Lee graced the ice. Tragic.

 

[BoltzManConstant]

Tampa, born and raised. Left in the mid 90s for college. Been to games at the Expo Hall, Thunderdome & Amalie and gotta tell you my favorite was the Expo Hall - just felt like you were right on top of the ice.

My only Tampa jersey is my Hamrlik from ~1993, and somehow it's still pristine except for the crease I stupidly put in the logo the year I didn't have a closet. Still our best look.

In Manhattan now, and every damn time I go to a Bolts game in MSG we lose.

 

[aessi]

From Finland. Been following Bolts for +10 years. First time watching them play vs the Flames in the finals, but i was not a fan back then. Just chose this team because of how well MSL and Stamkos played together even though the team was not that great back then.

 

[Stammertime91]

From the city of champions, Tampa.

There, now don't try to get my credit card number.