A special ceremony for a special player; St. Louis honored with jersey retirement

by Erik Erlendsson | @Erik_Erlendsson | Like us on Facebook
January 13, 2017

Tampa, Fla. – There were going to be tears, and there were tears.

There were going to be laughs, and there were laughs.

And, oh, the memories, there were plenty of memories flashed all over the video board. And they flashed through the minds of everybody inside Amalie Arena on Friday.

There was a special celebration, the kind of which had never been seen in Lightning franchise history. For the first time ever, the team held a jersey retirement ceremony in honor of Marty St. Louis.

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The No. 26, worn by St. Louis during his 13 years with the Lightning, will never be worn again, honored in a hallowed spot high above ice level to tell the story of the little man with a big heart that went on to become a champion.

It’s not an honor bestowed upon just any player. And the first one, means it had to be somebody special. And St. Louis, during his time here, was special.

For those who may have forgot, or are still clouded by the manner in which he left, Friday proved to be the perfect setting to remember all the good he accomplished for this franchise, for all the special moments a special player provided.

Every piece of success enjoyed by Tampa Bay from 2000-2014, St. Louis was right in the middle of. Some he was directly responsible for providing. The goals, the wins, the trophies, they were all there to be seen on Friday and shared with 19,092-plus in the building for Friday’s occasion.

Assembled on the ice around the podium were all those who were a special part of what made St. Louis so special to watch.

Wife Heather, his backbone throughout his career. Rick Dudley, the GM who brought him in Tampa Bay. John Tortorella, who coached him and provided St. Louis the chance to be the player he always knew he could be. Vinny Lecavalier, the longtime teammate and linemate that made up a dynamic duo on the ice. Fredrik Modin, his linemate and roommate during those early years. His father, Normand, who worked so hard to provide for St. Louis as a child so he could chase his dream. Steven Stamkos, who mentored the teenager and forged a special kind of friendship that transcends the game.

Other members of the 2004 winning Stanley Cup team were also on hand – Tim Taylor, Dave Andreychuk, Dmitry Afanasenkov and Ruslan Fedotenko. Jay Feaster, the general manager in 2004, and current Lightning head coach Jon Cooper also sat ringside.

Tortorella was the first speaker and set the tone off by ensuring everybody, including St. Louis’ three boys, knew that he was “a pain in the ass to coach’’, which enticed plenty of laughs from the crowd before Tortorella went on to praise his former player.

”He had a chip on his shoulder down to his ankle,’’ Tortorella said. “But he’ll never leave the game because it’s such a great story for all walks of life to delve in to when you have a dream.’’

Gary Bettman, NHL commissioner, was greeted with boos but left the podium to applause as he came “Here to honor somebody who has done it all and is an inspiration for anyone who dreams of greatness.’’

The accolades continued, from Yzerman and owner Jeff Vinik, who presented the gift of a new Lightning blue Ford F-150 pickup truck after calling Friday “One of the most important days in the history of this franchise.’’

But the tears would start to flow as Stamkos took the stage. The current captain of the team, out due to knee surgery, ensured that everyone knows that St. Louis “was, still is and forever will be the heart and soul of this organization’’ and telling him that he continues to inspire the next generation of players who are told they won’t make it, stating “Thank you for every kid out there who ever was told they can’t, because you Marty showed them you can.’’

St. Louis then took the stage, thanking everyone in attendance that helped to get him to this point, turning to all of them to look at them while he was doing it, ensuring the words were genuine and not just from a prewritten speech.

But the one person he wanted to thank in person, he couldn’t, and as he fought back his emotions and tried to hold back his tears, he provided the most heartfelt moment of the night speaking to his mother, France, who passed away from a heart attack in 2014.

”She always told me, go show them, Marty, you show them. Well, Mom, I think I did,’’ St. Louis said as he failed to hold back the emotions any longer, which led the crowd to a raucous cheer to lift him as just as he lifted the team so many times during his career, before ending the night by saying he “will forever be a Bolt.’’

Then, with lights flashing all around the building, the banner that bears his jersey number was lifted to the ceiling, cementing the legacy of St. Louis with the franchise he helped turn in to a champion.

It was the perfect ending on a special night reserved for a very special player.

St. Louis tribute video played during jersey retirement ceremony

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