TAMPA, Fla. — Vincent Lecavalier heard about Steven Stamkos before he arrived in Tampa as an 18-year-old prodigy, the No. 1 overall pick in 2008.
How could he not?
The “Seen Stamkos” marketing slogan blanketed the area, popping up on everything from billboards to bumper stickers and T-shirts. It wasn’t quite the “Michael Jordan of hockey” label that former owner Art Williams unfairly thrust on Lecavalier as the No. 1 pick and savior a decade earlier, but there was still plenty of pressure on Stamkos, the pride of Markham, Ontario.
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And when Lecavalier finally did see Stamkos shoot for the first time, the former Lightning captain knew he was witnessing something special. It was during an informal pre-training camp workout in late August of 2008, and Stamkos, the skinny rookie that Gary Roberts called “a wet noodle,” wound up for a slap shot from the spot that later became known as his “office,” the left circle.
“And it went exactly where it does now: top shelf, right corner,” Lecavalier said. “Just the way the puck went and how precise and how hard it was, you could tell that not everybody could do that. He’s a very special goal scorer.
“I’m not a baseball guy, but you hear from a lot of guys that hit home runs that you can hear the unique sound the bat makes. In hockey, you can tell the way he shoots it. It’s, ‘Oh, wow.’ I don’t think there’s anybody, maybe one or two guys like him in the league.”
Stamkos finally scored his milestone-matching 383rd Thursday in Tampa Bay’s 5-4 come-from-behind win over the Detroit Red Wings.
Stamkos, on matching Lecavalier’s all-time Lightning goals record, said he was a world-class player: “It’s one of those moments where you take a step back and reflect on the positive things and some of the negative ones that you had to overcome along the way and it makes it that much sweeter.”
“It was just a matter of time,” the now-38-year-old Lecavalier said earlier this week. “I’m happy for him.”
Steven Stamkos wearing a “Seen Stamkos?” shirt. (Screengrab from YouTube)
Stamkos, a two-time Rocket Richard Trophy winner as the league’s top goal scorer, is on pace for just his second 40-goal season since he tallied 60 in 2011-12. Nobody has touched that number since.
While Stamkos, 29, may not be as prolific a scorer as he was earlier in his career, the captain and face of the franchise is a more complete player.
Having gotten used to his “new norm” following surgeries to repair a broken leg and torn lateral meniscus, Stamkos is now back to fearlessly skating through the middle of the ice. “Like he did at the beginning of his career,” Hall of Famer Scotty Bowman said. Stamkos has grown into Tampa Bay’s main faceoff man (at a career-high 53 percent), is getting shifts on the penalty kill and is trusted on the ice defending in high-leverage moments.
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“He finally feels good,” said Lightning assistant GM Pat Verbeek, a long-time NHL winger. “He can trust his body, doesn’t have anything in the back of his mind. There are certain things you have to overcome mentally when you come back from injuries, and the toughest part is trusting everything 100 percent and not worrying about getting hurt again.
“He seems like he is and is playing as well as I’ve ever seen him play. He might not be scoring as many goals, but he’s a more complete player and leader.”
Stamkos may not crack 60 goals this season, but he still has 34 goals and 45 assists in 68 games for the Lightning. (Kim Klement / USA Today)
Jets star wing Patrik Laine grew up in Finland watching the likes of Stamkos and Washington’s Alex Ovechkin, two of the greatest scorers of this generation.
“Obviously that season he scored 60 goals, it’s still hard to believe somebody scored that many,” Laine said. “Actually, still. We know and every other team knows, especially on the power play, it’s going to him. And he still scores. Kind of the same thing with (Ovechkin). Exactly the same spot. They’re two of the best shooters I’ve ever seen. (Stamkos) is one of my favorites. So fun to watch.”
Stamkos said the night he scored No. 60 — during the regular-season finale in Winnipeg on Apr. 7, 2012 — was a moment he’ll never forget.
“Never in your wildest dreams do you think you’re going to get that,” Stamkos said. “It’s tough. There’s so much video and teams pre-scouting and goalies getting better. This year, there seems to be more offense, so I think it’s eventually going to happen again.
“But it’s as close to a once-in-a-lifetime as you’re going to get.”
What Stamkos pointed out, too, is that the Lightning missed the playoffs the year he scored 60. They also missed them the following season, the 2012-13, lockout-shortened slate when he tallied 29 in 48 games.
“It was a different situation,” Stamkos said of his 60-goal year. “We were kind of in and out of the playoff mix all year and at the end of the year, so you can be a little bit more focused on individual goals.
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“It’s much better to be in the position we’ve been in the last five, six, seven years here where you’re in the playoffs. You’re focused on winning, and whatever happens, happens individually. I’d probably trade that anyways to be in that spot.”
Jeff Halpern, Stamkos’ former teammate and now assistant coach, saw a maturity and confidence in him at an early age while trying to find footing in a locker room full of veterans. Remember, Lecavalier was there as was Hall of Famer Martin St. Louis.
“(Stamkos) wasn’t the savior because they had Vinny and Marty and those guys,” Halpern said. “But he was the No. 1 pick, he was the saving grace of that season before, kind of starting a new direction. But when he got there, he wasn’t a guy at 18 who was ripping through the league. He was a younger guy on an older team, a tough spot for an 18-year-old to come in.
“To watch the maturity that he has, where he was able to find a niche and then start creating more and start driving plays, there were a couple moments when you took notice. You could see the big plays, the creativity, and how he’s able to draw it. That was the growth and maturity of him not just physically but mentally. And it happened quick.
“It was easy as an older player to criticize and say, ‘Where’s our savior?’ Then you start seeing it, it’s impressive.”
Stamkos said he learned a lot from Lecavalier, St. Louis and the other veterans about how to be a pro, and — eventually — how to be a leader. You see glimpses of both former Lightning stars in how Stamkos handles the captain role.
Former Lightning center Vincent Lecavalier (center) poses with defenseman Victor Hedman (left) and center Steven Stamkos (right) as his No. 4 is retired at Amalie Arena on Feb. 10, 2018. (Kim Klement / USA Today)
“When he came in at 18, what I remember is how humble he was, how respectful he was of veteran players,” Lecavalier said. “Wanting to learn from guys, and so, for me, there are some guys that get into the league and are not like him. He’s very humble.
“There’s a lot of pressure when you’re No. 1. But at the end of the day, I’m sure in minor hockey there was a lot of pressure, at 16 years old they are saying he was going to be the No. 1 pick. He always coped with it and produced.”
Stamkos has made his living in his “office,” the left circle on the power play.
Teams know it’s coming, but they can’t stop it.
Stamkos’ shot isn’t known for movement; more so its power and precision, oftentimes soaring over a goalie’s left shoulder as he slides across to his right.
“It comes in clean, hard and fast,” said Tampa Bay backup goalie Louis Domingue. “You hope you move and it hits you.”
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“Goalies think they are there,” Lecavalier said. “And they’re not.”
You look at where Stamkos has done the most damage, and it’s pretty clear. Ninety-two of his goals have come on slap shots, a large portion from that left circle. Sixteen of Stamkos’ 34 goals this year have been on the power play, as shown by Sean Tierney’s @ChartingHockey.
“We’re different players, obviously,” Ovechkin said. “He’s a center and uses a different curve, different stick. But I think, for us, we like to play in that spot on the power play. He works a lot on his shot, and you can see all those goals come basically in the same spot.”
Halpern said what struck him about Stamkos early in his career was how he had the confidence and “audacity” to drive pucks through the middle of the ice. “That became his signature thing, how he’s been able to drive the middle with his speed, hands and get off quick shots,” Halpern said.
Stamkos began his career with a pretty normal shot selection, mostly wrist shots and a lot of snap shots, but heavier on the slap shots than most forwards. Tierney notes that over time, Stamkos began to use his slap shot nearly as much as his wrist shot.
“That is extremely rare,” Tierney said. “Only Ovechkin shoots the slapper as much as the wrister.”
Halpern said he showed Lightning rookie Mathieu Joseph a goal Stamkos scored Feb. 2 in Madison Square Garden. It was a wrist shot off the rush, but Halpern used Stamkos’ approach as a model.
“As soon as he gets the puck, his eyes never leave the net,” Halpern said. “If you can shoot to a spot you see is open, it’s probably easy. I don’t know if it feels that way. But that’s something you want a young guy to copy. It’s the ability to shoot with your head up. (Stamkos) can do it.”
Halpern works with the Lightning centermen on faceoffs after most every skate and practice. It’s an area Tampa Bay has made a significant improvement on since last season, going from 27th overall (48.2 percent) to 10th (51.0). Halpern said Stamkos is the one who will often lead the meetings, offering tips and insight on other centers.
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“Stammer has really taken charge,’” Halpern said.
That’s what Stamkos is most proud of. The franchise goal record is special, of course, but Stamkos’ focus has been on improving and evolving as a player with only the Stanley Cup in mind. He wants to be the guy depended on in key moments, playing the most significant minutes.
Stamkos has scored plenty of goals for the Lightning, but his sights are set on something greater: bringing a Stanley Cup to Tampa Bay. (Kim Klement / USA Today)
“Everything about his game has gone to another level,” Lecavalier said. “Everybody knows about his shooting and skating. But everything else, he took it to another level: his passing, his vision of the game. He’s just bringing everything together.
“Stammer has the ability to score 50 goals every single year — and more. He’s that good, and now he’s got a lot of guys that can give him the puck, and that obviously helps. He’s doing his best right now to bring the team to another level, and I think we all believe here in Tampa that he can do it.”
Lecavalier still lives in Tampa, and between carpooling his kids and coaching his son’s youth hockey team, he still attends many Lightning games at Amalie Arena. Lecavalier won a Stanley Cup with the Lightning 15 years ago and said this current team is as good as the league has seen in a decade.
“Honestly, I hope people realize how lucky they are to watch a team like the Lightning every night.”
Lecavalier, who assisted on Stamkos’ first career goal back in 2008, has seen a good portion of his 382.
Which goal has been Stamkos’ favorite?
“Hopefully,” Stamkos says with a smile, “my favorite one will come this summer.”
Joe Smith can be reached at [email protected]. Follow @JoeSmithTB.
(Top photo: Kim Klement / USA Today)