TAMPA, Fla. — Friday night, two Tampa Bay legends will be immortalized as inductees into the second class of the Lightning Hall of Fame.
Dave Andreychuk and Brad Richards helped lead the 2003-04 team to its first-ever Stanley Cup championship, beating the Calgary Flames four games to three in the Final.
The induction ceremony is part of the team’s annual Alumni Weekend. While the members of the first Cup team won’t exactly party like it’s 2004, they say they’ll still have plenty of laughs.
"It seems like when our group gets together, it never disappoints. We always have a great time,” said Richards, who was drafted by the Lightning in 1998. "I’m sure the stories are getting a little old and boring to some people, but for us, they seem like they’re brand new and funny. We can exaggerate and believe each other. It’s a special group.”
Andreychuk signed with the Lightning as a 38-year-old free agent in 2001. He was at the tail end of his career, having played more than 1,700 games without winning a Stanley Cup. He knew what it was like to come up short, and he wasn’t going to let the 2004 team take their playoff opportunity for granted.
"There are not many cities that can say what we’ve done. I think part of the run that we had and me standing up in the room was I was living proof of how hard this damn thing is to win,” Andreychuk explained. "How many times I lost in game sevens and final fours. It’s tough.”
If anything, Richards made it look easy in those playoffs. His seven game-winning goals in a single postseason are a record that still stands. Richards’ playoff heroics earned him the Conn Smythe Trophy, given to the MVP of the playoffs.
"If they were all overtime winners, I’d sit here and tell you I’m a genius,” Richards chuckled. "But we had big saves. If we had leads going into the third period, we shut it down defensively.”
While Richards gave credit to the entire team, Andreychuk was quick to put the spotlight back on Brad.
"He’s not saying the real story," Dave joked. "Let’s face it. It was an unreal run. It really was. It’s never happened since then. It might not happen again. It was an incredible run, and he’s got the hardware to prove it."
Richards played 11 more NHL seasons and joined Cory Stillman as the only two players from the 2004 team to win another Stanley Cup. Stillman did it with the Carolina Hurricanes in 2006. Richards and the Chicago Blackhawks beat the Lightning in 2015.
Andreychuk played one more season with the Lightning before retiring in 2006. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2017. Now, he broadcasts for the Lightning and plays an integral role in the franchise’s continued commitment to community involvement.
"It’s another challenge in life. I took on that challenge,” Andreychuk added. "What we’ve built with [owner Jeff Vinik’s] leadership, it’s pretty special. And I’m part of that."
