The Tampa Bay Lightning selected Vincent Lecavalier with the first overall pick in the 1998 NHL Entry Draft in hopes that he would turn around the franchise and he came through for them.
Lecavalier suited up in 1,037 regular season games for the Lightning over 14 seasons and scored 383 goals to go along with 491 assists for 874 points during that span. The Ile Bizard, Quebec native also appeared in four NHL All-Star Games, won the Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy, won the King Clancy Memorial Trophy, and also helped lead the team to its first and only Stanley Cup in franchise history.
Ahead of the Lightning’s game against the Los Angeles Kings on Saturday night, the team held a special pre-game ceremony for Lecavalier, which was centered around his No. 4 jersey going up to the rafters.
Before the team raised his No. 4 to the rafters and had him say a speech, Steven Stamkos and Victor Hedman greeted the franchise’s all-time leading scorer at centre ice to give him a special gift.
If you noticed in the video, all the guys on the Lightning took the ice for the pre-game skate in fantastic throwback Lecavalier jerseys.
Considering he was the face of the franchise for so long, you can bet there weren’t a lot of dry eyes in the building during his speech. When it was all said and done, he got the ovation he deserves and now his No. 4 will hang in the rafters forever.
(H/T Twitter/TBLightning)
