The first time I watched the Tampa Bay Lightning win the Stanley Cup, I had just finished my senior year of high school in 2004 and watched Games Six and Seven at my parent’s house on television. At the time, I wasn’t into hockey, though it was certainly exciting to watch. Still, it didn’t mean much to me as I wasn’t emotionally invested in the team.
I started watching hockey more regularly in the 2008-09 and 2009-10 seasons with the arrival of Steven Stamkos and Victor Hedman. Granted, it was also partly due to my ritual at the time of coming home from work, eating dinner, and turning on the Tampa Bay Rays game.