On December 27, 1999, Lightning forward Darcy Tucker let his emotions boil over in a 6-1 loss to the in-state rival Florida Panthers, accruing a franchise-record 49 penalty minutes. The final count: two fighting majors, two minors for roughing, three 10-minute game misconducts and one spearing major.
In 2018-19, Tampa Bay became the second team in league history to win 62 games, matching the record set by the 1995-96 Detroit Red Wings. Their record-setting season ended abruptly, however, when they became the first Presidents' Trophy winner to get swept in the first round of the Playoffs, losing to the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Thunderbug is the mascot of the Tampa Bay Lightning. He is a black and yellow lightning bug, of course, and wears a jersey with the number 00. He usually walks around the stands launching T-shirts to fans.
In exchange for a 2003 fifth-round draft pick, the Bolts got a defenseman who would go on to score over 250 points with Tampa Bay.
On the final day of the 2011-12 regular season, Steven Stamkos recorded his 60th goal in a 4-3 overtime win against Winnipeg, becoming the 20th player in NHL history to achieve the feat. Adding to his 60 goals, Stamkos recorded 37 assists for 97 points.
On January 17, 2012, the Tampa Bay Lightning mascot sprayed a Boston Bruins fan with Silly String. The fan took offense and pushed ThunderBug down. Thousands saw it on YouTube. The team did not condone ThunderBug's actions, and the performer was fired for inappropriate use of Silly String.
On June 18, 1992, goaltender Frederic Chabot (selected in the expansion draft from Montreal), was sent back to the Canadiens for goaltender J.C. Bergeron.
At the conclusion of the 2018-19 regular season, Nikita Kucherov had amassed 128 points (41 goals and 87 assists), setting a franchise record and surpassing Alexander Mogilny for most points in the NHL by a Russian-born player. Kucherov's 87 assists also tied Jaromir Jagr for the most assists in a single NHL season by a wing.
Exposed in the 1992 NHL Expansion Draft, Anatoli Semenov was selected by the Tampa Bay Lightning just prior to their inaugural season. However, he appeared in only 13 games for the Bolts before being dealt to the Vancouver Canucks.
"Zenon the Destroyer" was the NHL's most penalized player in his one full year with the Lightning, setting a franchise record with 265 penalty minutes.
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