Stamkos’ arrival in Tampa is once again highly anticipated as he returns with the Predators

Ever since the Lightning and Stamkos parted ways, Oct. 28 has been marked on many calendars as the return of hockey’s prodigal son. As the months leading up to the game turned into weeks and turned into days, the excitement in Tampa mushroomed. In fact, it’s not just here.

Not that the Lightning needed reminding of what was coming, but that’s exactly what happened at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto last Monday. With the Maple Leafs up 5-1 in the third period, fans began chanting “Where is Stamkos?”, a reference to the former Lightning great who grew up in nearby Markham, north of the city.

In a week, he’ll be exactly where he thought he always was before his divorce from Lightning: back at Amalie Arena.

“It’s hard for me to get there mentally or emotionally without being there physically,” he said earlier this month.

He’ll be there on Monday. And you can be sure that there will be many eyes on this, both from the player and in the stands.

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Phil Esposito remembers when Stemcomania first came to Tampa.

If you can call it that.

He recalls billboards, bumper stickers, T-shirts – all with the slogan “Have you seen Stamkos?” the slogan splashed on them. Some locals knew who Stamkos was. The rest were left scratching their heads.

“Here’s the thing,” Esposito said. “A lot of people here at the time didn’t know what it meant. They saw these things and didn’t know who he was. He has never played a game for the Lightning. He hasn’t even been drafted into the army yet.

“It was a marketing campaign for the team. And it was smart.”

Esposito co-founded the Lightning in 1991 and has been a broadcaster for the team’s games since 1999. As such, he has observed and followed the Stamkos era in Tampa since its inception 16 years ago.

“The thing to remember is that one player cannot make a team,” the 82-year-old Esposito said. “Stamkos came to a team that already had star players like Vincent Lecavalier and Martin St. Louis. They won the Stanley Cup in 2004. Stamkos came in and he didn’t have to be that guy.

“They had a big influence on him.”

Especially St. Louis.

Now the coach of the Montreal Canadiens, St. Louis became like a big brother to Stamkos in those early years. Then, on March 5, 2014, in St. Louis’ 13th season with the Lightning, he was dealt to the New York Rangers after requesting a trade from Tampa.

So the 49-year-old St. Louis understands the rollercoaster of emotions Stamkos will experience upon returning to Tampa. In fact, the two have been in correspondence since Stamkos signed with Nashville.

“I think it’s going to be very emotional for him,” St. Louis said Saturday after Montreal’s 5-2 win over the St. Louis Blues. “It was for me. Not just for him. For your family. For the fans.

“It’s going to be a great night for him. He will receive the respect and recognition he deserves. It will always be special for him to go back there.

“But that first game, it’s one of those games you’ll always remember when it’s all said and done.”

* * * * *

Stamkos and Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman had a ritual.

On any NFL Sunday that the Lightning schedule allowed, the two best friends would get together to watch the games. They had been teammates since 2009, when the Lightning drafted Hedman No. 2, and soon became neighbors.

They filmed a commercial together. Their children played together. They shared a special bond: the energetic forward from Ontario and the big, mild-mannered defenseman from Sweden.

“In many ways, it’s strange that he’s not here,” Hedman said. “I miss a lot of things. I miss not getting together to watch football.

“Like I said, I miss so many things.”

The same thing is happening with the city of Tampa. After all, Stamkos and his wife Sandra personally supported the local Ronald McDonald House charity through advertising campaigns and fundraisers, as well as by inviting many families to Lightning games.

They have become entrenched in society. So Stamkos said the hardest part of leaving was saying goodbye to all the friends his family had made here over nearly two decades. In fact, his father Chris came to the Tampa area last week to reacquaint himself with some of those familiar faces.

“I know this is one of the most difficult aspects of this whole situation for Steven,” Chris said.

For Cooper, it was a sobering reminder of the hockey business. Three years after the Lightning won the 2021 Stanley Cup, it has seen a mass exodus from that team, including forwards Stamkos, Blake Coleman, Ross Colton, Barclay Goodrow, Yanni Gourde, Tyler Johnson, Alex Killorn, Patrick Maroon and Ondrej Palat, as well as defenders. Mikhail Sergachev and Luke Schenn.

“I’ve been new to this for the last few years,” he said. “I saw a lot of my guys leave. It’s part of the game, but it doesn’t make it any less emotional.”

Especially for Hedman, who succeeded Stamkos as Lightning captain and said the two will remain lifelong friends even after their respective Hall of Fame careers are over. In fact, after the Lightning’s 3-0 win over the Washington Capitals on Saturday at Amalie Arena, there was talk that maybe, just maybe, the two could meet in the final NFL games on Sunday if Stamkos will arrive in Tampa on time.

When asked if this was true, Hedman smiled shrewdly.

“Maybe,” he said. – We’ll have to see.

Will he have “Saw Stamkos”? He and the Lightning faithful will likely do just that on Monday.

Be prepared for there to be tears around.