Steven Stamkos' Surprising Transfer: 'I Never Imagined This Day Would Arrive'

Steven Stamkos said a heartfelt goodbye to the Tampa Bay community on Monday, composing an article for The Players\' Tribune that detailed his journey from being the top draft pick to team leader to two-time Stanley Cup champion.

\"How do you bid farewell to a place like that? To a city that embraced you as an 18-year-old, to the only NHL team you've ever known, to a fan base that feels like family? To be honest, I'm not sure,\" he wrote.

Stamkos, now 34, signed a four-year, $32 million contract with the Nashville Predators in free agency on July 1 after he and Lightning officials were unable to reach a new agreement.

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\"I never thought I'd have to write something like this. It still doesn't feel real that I won't be a Bolt this fall,\" he expressed in his essay. \"But in the past few weeks, I've had this overwhelming sense of gratitude for the 16 years I spent as one.\"

Stamkos reminisced about his first day in Tampa, a young player from Ontario selected as the No. 1 overall pick in 2008.

\"When I arrived in Tampa ... I was nervous. The very first time I walked into the rink was for a press conference,\" he recalled. \"I entered through the security entrance where we go in before practices, and I couldn't believe it: There were hundreds of employees lined up all the way down the hall, applauding as I walked by. I'll always remember how that made me feel, how welcomed I felt. That moment has stayed with me. I immediately felt connected to the organization. And that connection never faded.

\"The bond between the Lightning and Tampa is truly special.\"

That bond was solidified when the Lightning won two Stanley Cup championships in just 282 days, claiming victory in the \"bubble\" during the 2019-20 pandemic season and again the following year.

\"Those few years were incredible for the city. The Bucs were winning, the Rays were doing well. 'Champa Bay' was alive. The boat parades, the crowds, the celebrations. That's what it's all about.\"

Stamkos said he has nothing but fond memories from his time in Tampa, where he played 1,082 games and recorded 1,137 points (555 goals, 582 assists).

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\"These past few weeks have been bittersweet. I never thought this day would come,\" Stamkos wrote. \"I did everything I could to make it work, but sometimes things just don't go as planned. It didn't work out. And I'd be lying if I said it wasn't heartbreaking. But my family and I, we're human, you know? Tampa is our home. It's where our three children were born ... it's where our memories are. It will always hold a special place in our hearts.\"