TAMPA, Fla. — Wearing the captain's "C" on a sweater is a big deal in every NHL locker room.
Ten players have worn the "C" in the 30 years of the Tampa Bay Lightning franchise. Paul Ysebaert was the first to do it in 1995.
You'd expect a little bit of a celebration when a player is named captain, but not in Ysebaert's case.
"One day, I think [assistant coach] Wayne Cashman brought me in before practice and asked what I thought about being a captain. I’m thinking assistant captain, right?" Ysebaert joked. "And then Tony and Phil Esposito came in and said, 'Yeah, we want to make you wear the C.' So I said, 'It’d be a great honor.' From there, it was set that I was the first captain."
Ysebaert played alongside former Red Wings captain Steven Yzerman in Detroit. That's where he learned how to lead a locker room.
"Be a sounding board for the players to management," Paul added. "You don’t have to say much if you show your leadership on the ice. And that’s what I learned from Steve Yzerman."
Detroit earned the nickname "Hockeytown" during its prime. That was a far cry from a newcomer area like Tampa Bay.
"Nobody cares. Either everybody’s at the beach, or you can wear your flip-flops to the rink," Ysebaert recalled about the early days of Lightning hockey. "They don’t know you at restaurants. So that was a big change. I look at the team now. They have such a core group of guys that they signed long-term. You’re seeing it again. They’re vying for a Stanley Cup. It’s all a progression."
Tim Taylor was Bolts captain from 2006-2008. He won a Stanley Cup with Detroit in 1997, and he thought being traded to Tampa Bay in 2001 would just be a footnote in his career.
Taylor was an integral part of the Lightning's first Cup championship in 2004, and his career changed for good.
"Played more of a stronger part, a useful part, when I was in Tampa… was just an experience that I’ll never, ever forget," Taylor said. "Our kids were at an age where they got to enjoy it as well. They went through the highs and lows and the trials and tribulations of winning and losing. Knowing what it takes to win a Stanley Cup."
It didn't take long for Taylor to realize Tampa Bay would be a market that fully embraced hockey.
"I was in Walgreens, and I was walking down the aisle, and there were two elderly ladies that were talking," Taylor said. "They said, 'Did you watch that hockey game? That was incredible.' One lady said, 'I’m glad it’s over. I’m glad they won, but oh, I can’t take staying up anymore with all these games! It was a long two months.' It was nice to see that people were really enjoying it. We got to see it first-hand. Our families got to go through it. Our neighbors got to go through it. Bringing the community together and realizing, ultimately, what a team can do if they play well together and work hard together."
Taylor's currently the director of player personnel for the St. Louis Blues. He said it's not that much different than being a captain.
"It’s been a lot of fun, and really, that role has not changed in the aspect of when I was playing," Taylor added. "You’re trying to guide some young players in the right direction. You’re trying to push them in the right direction. You’re trying to prod them and get them to play better. Ultimately, you’re trying to get these guys to the next level."
Current captain Steven Stamkos has worn the "C" since 2014. He's seen the franchise reach a point where simply competing for a Stanley Cup isn't good enough.
"Still kinda pissed off about that, if I’m being honest," Stamkos said when addressing last season's loss in the Stanley Cup final. "But I think it’s motivating in itself to know what it takes to get to the top of the mountain and that feeling that you have. That should be the motivation, for sure."
Stamkos is 15 goals away from 500 in his career. Stamkos, 32, said he's aware of the numbers, but he's not going to rush history.
"You don’t really think about it much," he said. "You don’t try to stress out about it. You just go… you put in the work, and when the time’s right, it’s just going to happen."
The Lightning opens the home schedule of their 30th season of hockey tonight when they host the Philadelphia Flyers. Puck drop is scheduled for just after 7 p.m.
