Lightning dent Stanley Cup after another Tampa Bay boat parade
TAMPA, Fla., July 13, (AP): Turns out the Stanley Cup is going to Montreal after all.
But it will return to the Tampa Bay Lightning’s possession for an extended party.
After the Lightning celebrated a second consecutive championship with another signature ‘Champa Bay’ boat parade on Monday, hockey’s holy grail needed to be sent north of the border for repairs. The bowl of the 128-year-old was dented to the point it looked like Flat Stanley Cup.
It has been damaged and fixed before, including when the 2018 champion Washington Capitals did “Cup” stands after winning the first NHL tile in franchise history. The Cup is still scheduled to be ready for the start of the Lightning’s summer of Stanley that players didn’t get to enjoy after winning last fall.
“What we’re hoping is getting two days with the Cup: back-to-back days,” three-in-a-row champion Patrick Maroon said last week.
The second Lightning boat parade in 10 months was fitting of that desire for more celebration. Captain Steven Stamkos wore a T-shirt bearing the message “BACK TO BOAT,” and the back-to-back champs were toasted with a boat parade on the Hillsborough River, with thousands of fans no longer burdened by COVID-19 restrictions gathering downtown to join the fun.
The scene – five days after the Lightning closed out a five-game Stanley Cup Final win over the Montreal Canadiens – hardly resembled the riverfront gathering organized after the team won last year’s title while playing in empty arenas because of the pandemic.
Dozens of residents on boats and other watercraft enjoyed a close view of vessels carrying players and coaches. A post-parade rally in a downtown park was delayed more than an hour when a heavy thunderstorm accompanied by gusting winds sent fans scattering for cover.
Eventually, Lightning owner Jeff Vinik and players took the podium to address the crowd in a steady rain.
At one point, forward Yanni Gourde slid across the stage on a trolley while some other players and coach Jon Cooper climbed down to interact with fans along barricades.
Meanwhile, Nashville Predators goaltender Pekka Rinne, the 2018 Vezina Trophy winner, is retiring after 15 seasons.
Rinne, 38, announced his decision Tuesday. The Predators have a previously scheduled morning news conference.
“For more than 15 years, I’ve been on an incredible, life-changing journey with the Nashville Predators that has taken me to more places than I could have ever imagined and given me more than I could ever hope to give back,” Rinne said in a statement. “This decision wasn’t easy, but I know this is the right one at the right time.
He made his last start on May 10 in Nashville’s regular-season finale, a 5-0 win over Carolina in which he tied Tom Barrasso for No. 19 in NHL history with his 369th victory.