Lightning Round: where to find the 2004 and 2020 Tampa Bay Lightning on the Stanley Cup

The Tampa Bay Lightning are getting their names engraved forever on the Stanley Cup over the course of this week. It will then travel around with the Tampa Bay Lightning as players and staff have begun getting their days with the Cup.

It’s real. It’s really happening.

There are eight rings of teams that have existed on the Cup. The first three are in the Hockey Hall of Fame, with the five most recent rings still on the trophy. The 2020 Lightning will be the fourth team on the eighth ring (dating back to 2017). It will be joining the 2004 team, two rings up, and a little to the left. So if/when you ever get the chance to have your picture taken with the Cup, you’ll be able to get two championship-winning teams for the price of one!

The sports card market has surprisingly been exploding during the pandemic, with the prices for cards on the secondary market going through the roof. This has had its positives, but also its negatives, with the community of card collectors having their culture and selfless nature be forgotten. [The Toronto Star]

Our managing editor, Justin, has written about collectibles many times before on this site. Here are some of my unsolicited favorites:

Also unsolicited, old Steven Stamkos!

There is going to be a significant baby bump from COVID-19. I wonder if the most popular name in Tampa Bay hospitals over the next year is going to be Tyler. Or maybe Victor? Steven? Brayden? Yanni? Probably Yanni.

Two bits of Buffalo Sabres business was conducted yesterday. Sam Reinhart to a one-year, $5.2 million contract. Linus Ullmark to a one-year, $2.6 million contract. Reinhart is likely going for the Taylor Hall “wait and see” approach to the cap in the coming year.