“For a guy that a lot of people think is just a shooter, I’ll rub that in their face a little bit that I got the assists first”. Steven Stamkos said it with a smile on his face after notching his 500th career assist in the Tampa Bay Lightning’s 5-4 overtime victory over the Dallas Stars on Tuesday night. Underneath that smile, though, there seemed to be some truth. Stamkos, the 15-year-veteran, the future hall of famer, the two-time Stanley Cup winner, still loves proving people wrong.
Of course, being known as an elite shooter in the NHL isn’t the worst thing in the world, but Stamkos has always prided himself on becoming a complete player as his career has progressed.