The Tampa Bay Lightning captain Steven Stamkos scored the 500th goal of his career during the first period of his team’s 5-2 victory over the Vancouver Canucks on Wednesday night, going on to score a hat trick. Following his goal, Stamkos’ teammates ruched off the bench to celebrate with him as the crowd cheered.
“It’s such a humbling experience when you have a moment like that and you get to celebrate it with your teammates, who are genuinely just as excited as you are. I’m so thankful for them,” Stamkos commented after the win. “Obviously this is an individual statistic, but it takes so many different players along the way that have helped me get to that.”
Selected first overall in the 2008 NHL Draft, Stamkos has remained with Tampa Bay for the duration of his career. He has amassed 1,022 points (500 goals, 522 assists) in 965 games for the team.
In addition to his role as team captain, the center proved to be a vital member of the Lightning squad that won back-to-back Stanley Cup titles in 2020 and 2021. He also won the Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy as the NHL’s top scorer in 2010 and 2012.
