BIOGRAPHY
Steven Stamkos was born February 7, 1990, in Ontario, Canada. He is a forward in the NHL.
Stamkos was selected first overall in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft by the Lightning. He is a two-time Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy winner as the NHL's leading goal-scorer (2010 and 2012), is a two-time NHL Second Team All-Star (2011, 2012), and has been named to seven NHL All-Star Games. Nicknamed "Stammer", he has scored the most goals and the most points of any player born in the 1990s decade. Stamkos captained the Lightning to back-to-back Stanley Cup championships in 2020 and 2021.
Stamkos was named to the 2019 NHL All-Star Game, his sixth All-Star selection, tying him with Martin St. Louis for the most in Lightning history. On March 18, Stamkos scored the 384th goal of his career to break the Lighting team record for most regular season goals. On March 25, Stamkos recorded his fifth 40-goal season and his fourth 90-point season. Stamkos tied St. Louis for the most 90-point seasons in Lightning history. On April 4, Stamkos recorded a goal and an assist giving him 97 points on the year to match his highest point total in a single season. The goal also established a new franchise record for most consecutive road games with a goal (7). On April 6, Stamkos recorded a short-handed goal to extend his road goal record to 8-games and also set a new career high in points with his 98th point.
On November 16, 2019, Stamkos recorded his 400th career NHL goal in a 3–4 loss to the Winnipeg Jets at Amalie Arena. Stamkos became the first player in Lightning history to score 400 goals with the franchise. On December 7, 2019, Stamkos recorded his 150th and 151st NHL power-play goal in a 7–1 Lightning win over the visiting San Jose Sharks at Amalie Arena. In doing so, Stamkos became the 4th player in NHL history that played primarily as a center to record 150+ career power-play goals before the age of 30. On December 28, 2019, Stamkos recorded his 800th career NHL point. Stamkos became the third player in Lightning history to record 800 points with the franchise. On January 9, 2020, Stamkos recorded his 400th career NHL assist. Stamkos became the third player in Lightning history to reach the milestone. On January 24, 2020, Stamkos was named to the NHL's 2010s All-Decade Second Team. In that decade Stamkos recorded 731 points over 672 games. On February 4, 2020, Stamkos recorded his 61st game-winning goal of his career. The goal moved him past Vincent Lecavalier for second most game-winning goals in Lightning history. On February 17, 2020, Stamkos skated in his 800th career NHL game. Stamkos joined St. Louis and Lecavalier as the only players in franchise history to play in 800 career games.
On March 2, 2020, Stamkos had surgery to repair a core muscle. Stamkos recovery was projected at 6–8 weeks from the procedure, which caused him to miss the remainder of the regular season. On September 23, 2020, Stamkos returned to the Lightning lineup in the third game of the Stanley Cup Finals. Stamkos scored his first goal of the postseason on his first shot of the game. Stamkos' goal was the second time in NHL history that a player skating in their first game of the playoffs in the Stanley Cup Final scored a goal. The last time the feat occurred was over 80 years ago by Billy Taylor Sr. in 1940. Stamkos logged just 2:47 of ice time during the game, but he managed to score a goal on his only shot. He played only one game of the Stanley Cup Finals and during the 2020 Stanley Cup playoffs. The Lightning would go on to win the Stanley Cup, marking Stamkos' first championship. They would repeat as Stanley Cup champions in 2021.
