Martin St. Louis Jersey Retirement Details Released

TAMPA, FL – Fans looking to see the No. 26 jersey head up to the rafters need to arrive extra early to the Tampa Bay Lightning game against the Columbus Blue Jackets.

The Lightning organization will retire Martin St. Louis’ No. 26 on Friday, Jan. 13 in a ceremony beginning at 6:30 p.m. at the Amalie Arena. Doors will open to ticket holders at 5:30 p.m., and the team recommends all fans to be at their seats by 6:15. Doors for ticket holders with premium seating and the arena’s Firestick Grill will open at 5 p.m.

Face-off for the game is expected to take place at 8:10 p.m. After the conclusion of the ceremony, the regular 15-minute warm-up skate and game preparation will occur.

John Tortorella, the current Blue Jackets head coach and the coach of the Lightning’s 2004 Stanley Cup Championship team, is one of several scheduled speakers during the ceremony. Tortorella coached St. Louis for seven seasons with the Lightning, including the Stanley Cup year.

St. Louis will be the first player in Tampa Bay Lightning history to have his jersey retired. He was signed by the Lightning as a free agent on July 31, 2000, and played 13 seasons with the club. He currently ranks first in team history for points (953), assists (588), shorthanded goals (28), game-winning goals (64), hat tricks (8, tied with Steven Stamkos) and power-play points (300). He ranks second for goals scored with 365, only behind Vincent Lecavalier’s 383 goals.

Known for his durability, St. Louis played in every NHL game in eight of his 13 seasons with the Lightning. He also set a team record for consecutive games played with 499 from 2005-06 to 2011-12.

St. Louis’ single greatest year with the Lighting came in 2003-04 when help helped lead the Lightning to its first Stanley Cup victory. He won several individual honors that season including the Art Ross Trophy as the NHL’s point leader with 94; the Hart Memorial Trophy as the NHL’s Most Valuable Player; and the Lester B. Pearson Award as the NHLPA’s most outstanding player.

Additionaly, St. Louis played in six NHL All-Star Games (2003, 204, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011) and was a four-time All-NHL second-team selection (2006-07, 2009-10, 2010-11, 2012-13). He also won the Art Ross Trophy for a second time in 2012-13, becoming the oldest player in league history (age 37) to earn the NHL’s top single-season scorer.

St. Louis also won the NHL’s Lady Byng Memorial Trophy three times (2009-10, 2010-11, 2012-13) for his “sportsmanship and gentlemanly play combined with a high standard of playing ability.”

For more information, visit https://www.nhl.com/lightning.

Image via kaatiya, Flickr, used under Creative Commons