Stanley Cup returns to Tampa with new detail

TAMPA — The Stanley Cup returned to Tampa this weekend with a different look to it.

The 2019-20 Lightning are now officially etched into hockey history.

The Cup trekked up to Montreal, where its official engraver, Louise St. Jacques, inscribed the Lightning’s names on the trophy. The annual tradition to add the Stanley Cup champs' roster to the Cup dates back to 1924.

The Cup returned to Amalie Arena, where players and staff were able to see their names on the trophy for the first time. Lightning defenseman and Conn Smythe Trophy winner Victor Hedman was among those who visited the arena to see it, snapping photos of his name on the Cup.

“You know, lifting the Cup is one thing, but actually seeing your name, you know you’re going to be forever on that Cup,” Hedman said on a Lightning social media post video. “It’s a dream come true. It’s been some time now since we won, so it’s kind of sunk in a little bit. But I’ve been looking forward to this day to actually see my name on it.”

Each team is allowed to engrave up to 52 names in its section. Of the 28 Tampa Bay players who traveled to the postseason bubble, 27 have their names on the Cup.

Reserve goaltender Scott Wedgewood was the only player with the Lightning in the bubble whose name wasn’t engraved on the trophy. Wedgewood was added to the postseason roster after spending the regular season in the minors with Syracuse. He dressed as the backup goaltender in the team’s exhibition game against Florida but didn’t play.

Forward Mathieu Joseph didn’t see game action in the bubble but did get his name engraved on the trophy because he played in 37 games before the pause, more than half of the 70 regular-season games the Lightning played.

The criteria for backup goaltenders, who typically don’t see action in the playoffs, is either dressing for half the regular-season games or one Stanley Cup finals game. Backup Curtis McElhinney met both.

Forward Pat Maroon, who won the Cup last season with St. Louis, noted on his Instagram story that he’s listed differently this year. He was listed as “Patrick" Maroon with the Blues. This year, he’s just “Pat.”

As for planning the Lightning players' individual days with the Cup, much of that is still up in the air. Over the next several weeks, those who want to spend their day with the Cup locally in Tampa Bay can make plans to do so. But COVID-19 restrictions still complicate the trophy traveling elsewhere.

Follow all the action on and off the ice

Subscribe to our free Lightning Strikes newsletter

We’ll send you news, analysis and commentary on the Bolts weekly during the season.

Loading...

You’re all signed up!

Want more of our free, weekly newsletters in your inbox? Let’s get started.

Explore all your options

Since the NHL has yet to announce when the upcoming season will begin — a Jan. 1 start is still possible but becomes more unlikely with every passing day — the Lightning don’t know how long they will have to celebrate with the Cup before the start of the season.

Here’s a complete list of those whose names were engraved on the Stanley Cup.

Ownership and hockey operations

Owner Jeff Vinik, team president and CEO Steve Griggs, general manager Julien BriseBois, director of amateur scouting Allen Murray, director of player personnel Jamie Pushor, director of player development Stacy Roest, director of hockey operations Mathieu Darche

Staff

Head coach Jon Cooper, assistant coach Jeff Halpern, assistant coach Derek Lalonde, assistant coach Todd Richards, goaltending coach Frantz Jean, video coordinator Brian Garlock, video coach Nigel Kirwan, director of high performance and strength coach Mark Lambert, head athletic trainer Tom Mulligan, assistant athletic trainer Michael Poirier, equipment manager Ray Thill, assistant equipment manager Rob Kennedy, assistant equipment manager Jason Berger, massage therapist Christian Rivas, assistant strength and conditioning coach Brandon Rodgers, senior director of team services Ryan Belec, director of hockey administration Liz Sylvia Kowarski, director of hockey analytics Michael Peterson

Players

Steven Stamkos (captain), Zach Bogosian, Erik Cernak, Anthony Cirelli, Braydon Coburn, Blake Coleman, Barclay Goodrow, Yanni Gourde, Victor Hedman, Tyler Johnson, Mathieu Joseph, Alex Killorn, Nikita Kucherov, Pat Maroon, Ryan McDonagh, Curtis McElhinney, Ondrej Palat, Cedric Paquette, Brayden Point, Jan Rutta, Luke Schenn, Mikhail Sergachev, Kevin Shattenkirk, Mitchell Stephens, Andrei Vasilevskiy, Carter Verhaeghe, Alexander Volkov

Contact Eduardo A. Encina at eencina@tampabay.com. Follow @EddieInTheYard.

• • •

Thunderstruck: Celebrate the Tampa Bay Lightning’s one-of-a-kind championship season with this hardcover collector’s book