For me, a lot of the fun of being a fan of hockey is that I’m not just a fan of the Tampa Bay Lightning, but also a fan of individual players. Often times my appreciation for a player goes beyond just when they played for the Lightning. On a personal level, it’s great to see players that came into the organization, grew and developed as players, and then moved on for whatever reason to continue to find success.
I know that a lot of other fans feel the same way. We get attached to players when they’re here and follow them for the rest of their careers.