Steven Stamkos Breaks Down Decision to Sign With Nashville Predators & What Happened With Tampa 

Lifelong Lightning fan here, I remember when we drafted Stammer. It’s been incredible to see him grow up here, have a family, and be an example of a good man. I’ve had posters and bobbleheads of him since his rookie year, the best Captain a team could ever ask for, arguably the greatest athlete in Tampa Bay Sports history. I will never fully get over this, and never forgive JBB. The end of an era, our Captain is gone. Like many others I’ll be watching some Nashville games now, and I hope Stammer scores 60 goals this year. I wish the best to him and his family. ❤

@Steven Stamkos on behalf of my son who’s proudly serving, your dedication and integrity and commitment playing for the Tampa Bay Lightning winning two Stanley Cups will always be remembered and appreciated may you continue to inspire the Nashville team and their community and thank you.

We will truly miss you Steven thank you for all the hard work and wonderful memories I will always be a bolt fan 4 life but I'm not going to lie I'll probably be paying attention to the Predators just a little bit more I'm so glad we had the honor to watch you become a star in Tampa

Stammer was the best representative of Tampa on and off the ice, and a true champion! He will be missed

Pred fans will absolutely love Stammer. He will quickly become a fan favorite. Outstanding guy on and off the ice! He will be missed, big time, in Tampa. Thanks for everything you've given the past 16 years.

Thank you for your infectious/positive spirit. It will be missed more than your goals... in the local Tampa Bay area!

Thank you Stammer for the being the greatest Bolt of all time. The rafters await 91 being raised one day.

Pure class, all the way through.

You will always be my Captain and I will always wear your Jersey! May God bless you and your family. Tampa will forever miss you!😢

Screw you JBB. You can hear it in his voice. He never wanted to leave Tampa. But JBB definitely did not go about this the wrong way. Us fans will always miss you in Tampa!!!!

Moved to the Tampa area in 97' and have been a Bolts fan ever since. I've been a Stammer fan for his entire run here. Thanks Steven for all the goals! You will be missed incredibly. I'm always a Bolts fan, but now a bit of me became a Nashville fan. They are so lucky to have you. Keep scoring Captain.

Congrats, Stammer! As a Leafs fan and Ontario hockey fan.. couldn't be more proud. Will be strange seeing him in a Preds jersey but I wish him luck and have a feeling they may make a run. 8mil well worth it!

Huge Tampa Bay fan, been a huge fan of Steven Stamkos for 10 plus years. Hate to see him go but at the same time I am so happy for him. His fresh start with the Preds is going to be amazing along with Marchesseault. Wow, wish you all the best. Stammer!!. Gonna miss you😭😭😭😭😭

Good luck in Nashville Stammer prove JBB wrong love from Tampa

JBB is a great cap manager. Probably the best I have seen. Stamkos not only was the face of the franchise, he lead the way and set the tone for the rest of the locker room to take less money so management could get the 3rd and 4th lines they needed to win the Cup. Without that happening TB is nothing more than the Leafs. There are two ways to go in hockey. Get the money while you can or win the Cup with less money and then get money later. Stamkos did all that and encouraged the rest to either do the same thing, like Hedman, or take bridge contracts on the promise of a better contract afterwards. Cooper said many times, when we were behind, that he couldnt believe the calmness in the locker room going into that third period. That was all Stamkos. He kept people calm. He brought so much more than just being a great hockey player, to the team. JBB has ruined all that. Players are going to say, you cant trust JBB to follow through so get the money while you can. Also, the way he treated Stamkos.....saying signing him was a priority, trading people and say he now has the money to sign him, offering him that garbage contract all while giving Guentzle a contract, twice what Stamkos was asking, for a guy that has less points last year than Stamkos and has yet to exhibit any leadership qualities to a team. If Stamkos was to high of a price to pay for him, what about Duclair??? He was on the cheap and JBB had the money and let him slip away!! I have been raised on hockey, being from Minnesota, we live and breathe it. It takes everyone, from ownership down, to win a cup and it starts in the locker room. A cancer in the locker room will kill the whole process. Again, I reference the Leafs. JBB's, no class, handling of Stamkos, sends a message to everyone that plays here. He already paid 9mil for a player that hasnt played the first puck for TB. This is the shape of things to come. This is a business and TB is a place players wanted to come to, JBB ruined all of that!! All around hockey, writers are spreading accolades to the Predators being in the top 2 for their acquisitions of Stamkos and Marchessault. Write this down, they are going to be a force in the east and Tampa, well we will see. Everything that just happened, happened to cover up JBB's screw up with Jeanotte where he sold the farm for one player and TB has nothing left to tap in to. Stammer shows in this interview how classy he is and he may think what I am saying but wont say it himself, so I will. JBB has ruined the brand that Yzerman spent years building with the help of players like Stammer. Its one thing to conduct hockey as a business. Its another to be totally disrespectful and downright nasty to a player. He talks a lot of niceties towards Stammer but JBB is a dick plain and simple. Thats not coming from a disgruntled fan. It just comes from a guy that tells it like it is because I dont have to play politics. Players are going to come and go and thats business but class, honesty, and respect havent been displayed in this case. Stammer is a great player and an even better person. Best of luck Steven!!

Welp going to be watching Preds games too this season. Great job JBB😐

Good luck Steven! Hopefully you’ll win a Stanley Cup to Downtown Music City!

As a Florida Panthers fan I am happy that our rivals lost their best. Much respect to Steven Stamkos, the player and the leader... You got yourselves a heck of a champion Nashville!

He should still be a Bolt I’m so mad the Lightning couldn’t get him another contract. He belongs here. I’ll miss you Stammer Time please come back in 4 years to retire in Tampa!

Newfound respect for Stammer! Totally gets the business side of things but realized it was time to move on to a situation where he was valued more highly and looking at it as a new adventure. All the best.

What price for this kind of leadership? Such class.

We’ve been waiting for a player like stammer in Nashville. I’ve been a fan and have been going to games since 97 . This is exciting!

Going to miss you Stammers! Good luck in Smashville!

Nashville take care of stammer please ♥️we’ll miss him in Tampa 😢

Stamkos is an absolute sniper! That’s how he’s going to fit in

I think it’s a great signing, sometimes you just need a change of scenery, many have done it and got back being on a winning team Again

Tampa was offering him $3,000,000 AAV. Nashville offered him $8,000,000.... who the hell would turn down $5,000,000 per season? He was very polite about Tampa lowballing him.

Ive been a Bolts fan since 2003, and a Knights fan since 2017, I try to watch all 82 games from each organization every year, now that my favorite player from Tampa (Stamkos), and my favorite player from Vegas (Marchessault) have both signed with Nashville I have to try and watch those games as well now. Good luck Stammer but you'll always be a Bolt!

Leafs fan: They did Stamkos dirty man. Take it out on the ice Stammer !!! Get em !!!

As a die hard Bolts fan, Tampa dropped the ball. I’m sorry Stammer. Go bolts won’t be the same with the main face of the team.

I love Stammer and as a bolts fan this one hurt 😢

I don't understand. J BB had money to sign Guentzel for $63m..$9m per year. That cap space should have gone to retain Stammer. You can see in his interview that he's holding back crying. JBB will lose many many fans in Tampa. Thanks for this ridiculous decision. It was a no brainer to keep Stamkos. Shame shame shame, The bolts will probably not even make the playoffs next season because are this. Does JBB even realize the impact this is gonna have on the entire team. Once again, I don't understand.

My childhood hero stammer grew up wearing ur number on the ice and now you’ve finally moved on and I’m a grown ass adult. Sad times

Thanks Tampa we needed a guy like this.😂😂🎉

Gunna miss our captain in Tampa! Sucks really sucks

You will be missed in Tampa. I’m sorry it didn’t work out, but I’m glad you can be excited about the new opportunity. I look forward to the tribute video when you return this season, and I look forward to the day we retire #91.

A reset may be just the ticket for stammer. He's still an elite player and playing for a team that wants you makes a difference. I wish him the best and hope they win a cup so he can have some real closure.

I didn't like how the coach in Tampa benched Stamkos one time, he was coming off an injury or something I can't remember, the coach seemed to be a narcissist anyways glad Stamkos can go somewhere where they will appreciate him, he is a hall of famer over 500 goals and 2 Stanley Cups I mean damn what more do you want.

I like how they let Steven talk before any journo's got to ask questions. Normally they let the Journo's jump right in. It was nice to hear the player speak first. He basically spoke to all the soft ball questions they would have asked him right off the bat and then silly Journo's ask them anyways.

He would have looked great in a Colorado Avs jersey.

I know its a Business but Tampa Did Stammer dirty. Congratulations on your nee deal Stammer. It definitely will be weird not seeing Stammer on the Ice for the Lighting. I look forward to seeing Stammer in Nashville and what this team can bring to the table. On paper the Predators look like they could be a very tough squad to get a W against

What a terrible way to treat a cornerstone peice to a franchise.. to be just kicked down the road like an old tin can.. is just sad..

At the end of the day it didn’t hurt the Preds were offering $2-3 million more a year than the other interested teams. 😂

50 goal season coming up. Can see it. Lightning messed up big.

An interview I wish I never had to see…Stammer in an NHL jersey that isn’t the Bolts, FML. I support his decision though, he did what was best for him, his family, and gave us his all since day 1. I would have been fine with him leaving if it was due to him wanting to, or us just not being able to truly afford him, but we could have, should have, but fk, we didn’t. JBB and out organization as a whole completely disrespected Stammer, that’s what is most disappointing. No respect, just a take it or leave it attitude. I will be watching all the Preds games, they just doubled their fan base! #StammerTime #ThisSucks

i honestly hope we miss the playoffs this year we deserve it i hope JBB gets fired

It's funny how he admits that tampering occurred. The NHL rules are toothless, but I understand completely.

Nashville will be tough to beat next year that's for sure.

BriseBois must simply be worried about Stamkos declining soon given his age. Nowadays if a guy is overpaid by like 3 million that’s a big deal for being competitive. It’ll be cool to see Stamkos in Nashville

Good luck hope you have a healthy end to your career 👍 💛 ✝️

Lookin like Thankos with that jaw line

Gotta wonder if Vinik's divorce had something to do with this one. I know JBB is the GM, but at the end od the day, Vinik owns the club, and this decision ultinately sits with him. As a Wings fan, I feel for the Tampa fans. #19 will always be our Captain. No one in Detroit could have ever seen Yzerman in another jersey. I'm glad that's something i never had to witness.

You will always be a Bolt, never a Pred.

Might be the Preds biggest FA acquisition since Paul Kariya?

Too bad edmonton didnt trade nurse for him

JBB completely fucked this entire situation. I honestly hope Guentzal flops so we can call for his job faster

Hope Steve S does well in Nashville- BUT- wish he would have ended up here in Toronto with the Leafs

tampa did huge misstake

Teams move on from players, it happens, regardless of how great they are. Hell, Gretz was traded!!!

Steven.... You always have the option after 4 years.... to sign a 1 year LOW 1.11M$ contract and finish with Tampa. This was a chance to "breakaway" and earn capital otherwise not on the table at the time. Nothing is forever in life...making all goodbyes special.

Stammer in cheddar sweater. 😭🤮🤮🤮🤮💀

I thought he was meant to sign in Toronto?

it's funny seeing outsiders and casual tampa fans saying "KeEp StAmKoS No MaTtEr WhaT" lol. the romantic storybook ending would be great in if it entailed having stamkos stay with tampa, in a way that would allow him to continue his career at a fair labor cost, and in a way that allows TBL to ice a competitive team. even with his skill level at his current age of 34, having scored 40 goals, steven is NOT going to be worth $8m in a few years when he declines. factor in his powerplay points from last season and his goal scoring has dropped significantly 5 on 5 the last 3 seasons. 19 of his 40G came from the pp this past season, where he benefits a lot from kucherov and hedman. tampa is very comfortable in how they handle their business, and they don't want to repeat the situations that mid-2010's DET went thru, and PIT of today is going thru. as a tampa fan i'm happy for steven getting one last big paycheck. i'm also glad the team dodged a bullet if that was the price that was required to keep steven under contract. ⚡

Sorry Bolts, I know its business, but Stamkos, shame on you. GO PREDATORS!!

As a Preds fan I am very excited to have Stammer in a Preds uni! Awesome!!

i gotta say as a preds fan im stoked we got stasney and masrchessault. wtf happened.

you should do some colabs for sure