TAMPA, Fla. — The Tampa Bay Lightning are on their way to Colorado.
The team left Tampa following a early morning practice out at Amalie Arena where fans turned out to wish the team luck in their bid to defend the Stanley Cup.
With signs in hand and lots of cheering, the Lightning faithful also made their presence known at Tampa International Airport, where the team boarded a private charter to Denver.
“Just show our support. Send off the guys while we can cheer them on,” said Lightning fan Laura Henderson. “Just to let them know that we’re here. And you know, we still believe. And we have just as much hope as they do.”
“I come out extra early to set up all of the signs,” said Lightning fan Doris Luciene. “I really just want them to know that they’re appreciated and loved.”
Fans had also gathered even earlier in the day at Amalie Arena, where the team held a final home ice practice before heading to Denver.
Some of the players were even good enough to stop for pictures and autographs.
“We got this. We won it in 2014 in seven. We won it in 2020 in six,” said Lightning fan Timothy Eaton. “We won last year in five. We got this.”
Fans who truly have their heart in it say it’s not easy being the distant thunder. They wish they could be in Colorado cheering for the team.
And it’s mutual – say players – who love the energy that comes from playing in front of the home crowd.
But they know bringing home another Stanley Cup means having to win on the road too.
“Do I want them to be full of Tampa fans? Heck yeah. I would be delirious to not want it,” said Lightning Center Pierre-Édouard Bellemare. “But to be honest, we’re just going to have to go through it.”
The players say another tough part about plating on the road, especially in Colorado, is the altitude. But by getting there a couple of days early and having a few practices, they think it’ll help them get used to that thinner air.
“No matter what, win or lose, we believe,” said Henderson. “Because, you know that’s just how passionate we are.”