2008 Woodie Awards
Stanley Cup Champs Get Rings
Even though there's no season, Tampa Bay players still got together to celebrate.
Danielle Lambraia
Issue date: 12/3/04 Section: Sports
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No cheering fans, no Thunderbug, no huge parties. In a private ceremony, first-time Stanley Cup champions the Tampa Bay Lightning finally received their diamond-laden rings; they received permission despite the NHL lockout that wiped out the hockey season.
Left wing Martin St. Louis, forward Vincent Lecavalier, and goalie Nikolai Khabibulin were not among the 15 players at the St. Pete Times Forum for the presentation by Lightning president Ron Campbell, general manager Jay Feaster, and coach John Tortorella. These key players, along with more than 200 NHL players, have joined European teams during the lockout. Only 15 players-including several no longer with the Lightning, such as Jassen Cullimore, Ben Clymer and Cory Stillman-could attend.
The huge rings are believed to be worth between $15,000 and $20,000. Each ring has 138 diamonds (one for each of the 106 points the Lightning earned in the regular season and two each for 16 victories during the playoffs). Each player's ring has his name, jersey number, and the post-season series victories with the opponent's logo (Flames, Flyers, and Canadiens). Blue diamonds make up the Stanley Cup on the ring. Those diamonds were sent to Israel to be "radiated" - or make them blue.
The Lightning ring has 138 diamonds while the Bucs Super Bowl ring has 54, the Pistons NBA ring has about 115 and the Marlins World Series has more than 240 stones, including a teal diamond for the marlin's eye. Having one of the greatest rings in sports cannot change this year's infamous hockey lockout. "I don't think we'll ever forget the treatment the NHL has given our team in trying not to let this happen," forward Tim Taylor said. "It was a joke. For this community not to share in this? I think it's a slap in the face the NHL has given our fans because they should've been involved. This should have been at the Forum in front of 22,000 people as we walk up and get the rings ... and show the fans," center Tim Taylor told the St. Petersburg Times. "I personally feel the NHL has taken some of that away from us."
Left wing Martin St. Louis, forward Vincent Lecavalier, and goalie Nikolai Khabibulin were not among the 15 players at the St. Pete Times Forum for the presentation by Lightning president Ron Campbell, general manager Jay Feaster, and coach John Tortorella. These key players, along with more than 200 NHL players, have joined European teams during the lockout. Only 15 players-including several no longer with the Lightning, such as Jassen Cullimore, Ben Clymer and Cory Stillman-could attend.
The huge rings are believed to be worth between $15,000 and $20,000. Each ring has 138 diamonds (one for each of the 106 points the Lightning earned in the regular season and two each for 16 victories during the playoffs). Each player's ring has his name, jersey number, and the post-season series victories with the opponent's logo (Flames, Flyers, and Canadiens). Blue diamonds make up the Stanley Cup on the ring. Those diamonds were sent to Israel to be "radiated" - or make them blue.
The Lightning ring has 138 diamonds while the Bucs Super Bowl ring has 54, the Pistons NBA ring has about 115 and the Marlins World Series has more than 240 stones, including a teal diamond for the marlin's eye. Having one of the greatest rings in sports cannot change this year's infamous hockey lockout. "I don't think we'll ever forget the treatment the NHL has given our team in trying not to let this happen," forward Tim Taylor said. "It was a joke. For this community not to share in this? I think it's a slap in the face the NHL has given our fans because they should've been involved. This should have been at the Forum in front of 22,000 people as we walk up and get the rings ... and show the fans," center Tim Taylor told the St. Petersburg Times. "I personally feel the NHL has taken some of that away from us."