Steven Stamkos recently penned a heartfelt letter to Tampa Bay, reflecting on his 16 years with the Lightning, including 10 as captain and two Stanley Cup victories.
Now, he's stepping into a new chapter with the Nashville Predators. "Preds fans, we'll talk soon," he had promised.
Tampa, thank you for everything 💙 Not sure words are enough to express my feelings , but I gave it a try . Big thanks to the @PlayersTribune for helping me put this together.
And today, he finally spoke to them through the Predators' social media team on media day.
Hey Smashville, Steven Stamkos here. Just wanted to reach out and say I'm extremely excited about joining the Nashville Predators. I can't wait to get out there on the ice and see you guys live. It's a very exciting time for my family and I. See you soon.
Sporting the yellow Predators jersey for the first time, Stamkos even reminisced about an overtime winner he scored at Bridgestone Arena a couple of years ago.
This is mind blowing to me. I'd seen Steven Stamkos in interviews recall goals he'd scored just by given the date and opponent. Wanted to see if he could still do it.
555 career goals later, he still has an insane memory.
(No I did not give him a heads up on this Q)
He signed a four-year deal worth $8 million per season after the Lightning lowballed him with a $3 million offer.
The boys are ready for Smashville
Though Stamkos didn't want to leave his longtime home in Tampa, he's embracing his new one with enthusiasm.