Tampa Bay Lightning: Top 10 Highlights of Steven Stamkos' NHL Career

Tampa Bay Lightning forward Steven Stamkos has established himself as a top dog in the NHL, penciling his name alongside perennial stars like Alexander Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby.

With three NHL seasons under his belt, including his first playoff appearance this past April, Stamkos has already earned some outstanding accolades.

At just 21, the Markham, Ontario native became the third-youngest player to score at least 50 goals, posting 51 in the 2009-10 campaign. A nightmare to goaltenders league-wide, "Stammer" is a pure goal scoring talent, sure to be effective every time he sets foot on the ice. 

Out of all of the jaw-dropping moments, here's the 10 very best of Steven Stamkos' young, dazzling career. 

10. NHL 12 Coverboy

As Dion Phaneuf, Patrick Kane and many other NHL players will tell you, being featured on the cover of the yearly EA Sports NHL video game is a dream. 

For Steven Stamkos, that dream became a reality this past summer. 

Following a stellar third season in Tampa in which the Bolts advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals, Stamkos was chosen to grace the cover of NHL 12—quite an honor for the young superstar.

9. Draft Day

June 20th, 2008 was one of the most important days in the career of Steven Stamkos: draft day—although it wasn't the first time Stamkos was drafted first overall, as he was also taken first overall by the Sarnia Sting in the OHL draft. 

The 45th annual NHL Entry Draft was held in Canada's capital of Ottawa, Ontario. What grander stage for Stamkos to arrive on scene in the league?

This would be the day that Stamkos would learn which NHL club he would become a vital part of. Movie producer on the Saw series and former Tampa Bay Lightning owner Oren Koules was part of a tumultuous atmosphere that saw the Bolts finish 13th in the Eastern Conference in 2008-09. It was Koules, unfortunately, who made the announcement that Stamkos would be joining the Lightning.   

Regardless, it was one of the most memorable days in Lightning franchise history, as well as in Stamkos' career.

8. First Playoff Goal

The Tampa Bay Lightning made the playoffs last season for the first time since 2007. Not only did they make the playoffs, they were a goal away from advancing to the Stanley Cup Finals.

It was also Steven Stamkos' first playoff experience, in which he posted 13 points in 18 games.

His first goal came against the Pittsburgh Penguins in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals, an 8-2 rout that saw Stamkos add his second goal as well. 

7. First NHL Hat Trick

Scoring the first NHL goal is truly a special moment, but the first hat trick is also an incredible feat that is usually reserved for truly elite talents. Although it's not necessarily a rare occurrence, some players such as longtime Phoenix Coyotes captain Shane Doan, who is nearing 300 goals and has 738 points in over 1,000 NHL games, have never scored a hat trick. 

Stamkos notched his first three-goal night on February 17th, 2009 against the Chicago Blackhawks. The most impressive aspect is that it was a natural hat trick (three straight goals, uninterrupted by any other scoring).

6. Trademark One-Timer

Brett Hull was one great legend who surely made the one-timer famous. Nowadays, Steven Stamkos is scoring a myriad of goals that way, usually within the left faceoff circle of the offensive zone on the power play.

We have seen it countless times, and it never gets old. When it looks like there is no room to beat the netminder, Stamkos bangs it home. 13 of his league-leading 51 goals from 2009-10 were scored in the said fashion. 

As seen in this highlight, Stamkos can let a slap shot rip with the best of them, and reportedly hit 104.5 miles per hour at a Bauer on-ice event.

His one-timer has become something of a trademark throughout the NHL, and it sure is a thing of beauty. 

5. 2008 WJC Gold

After leading 2-0 heading into the third period of the 2008 World Junior Championship Gold Medal game, Team Canada let down its guard. It allowed Team Sweden back into the game, setting up a dramatic overtime sequence that Team Canada would end early into overtime.

Aside from John Tavares, Steven Stamkos was the youngest player on that squad. 

Winning a gold medal for your country is right up there with winning a Stanley Cup, if not a little sweeter, arguably.

Stamkos helped guide Team Canada to its fourth straight gold medal at the World Juniors in 2008, a momentous occasion that ranks amongst the tops in his career.

4. Rocket Richard Trophy Winner

In the 2009-10 campaign, Steven Stamkos led the league in goal scoring along with Sidney Crosby of the Pittsburgh Penguins, each with 51 goals. 

That made Stamkos the third-youngest player in league history to score at least 50 goals, behind only "The Great One" Wayne Gretzky and Jimmy Carson—quite a remarkable feat at only 20 years of age.

The following season, Stamkos would tally 45 goals. With the great skill set and lethal shot he possesses, it surely won't be the last time "Stammer" takes that award home.

3. Persistence in a Nutshell

If there was a goal that could sum up determination and persistence, there's no doubt this is it. The concentration and hand-eye coordination at work is astounding.

When it looked like he was down and out of the original play after his initial shot, Steven Stamkos shocked us all by batting his own rebound out of the air past Anaheim Ducks netminder Jonas Hiller, and into the net. 

2. First NHL Goal

Nothing says "Welcome to the NHL" like your first NHL goal. For Steven Stamkos, the date was October 30th, 2008. Although it wasn't too flashy or a great individual effort, it was a brilliant tip off of a Vincent Lecavalier slap shot on a premier NHL goaltender in Ryan Miller of the Buffalo Sabres.

1. No Guts, No Glory

It's hard to fathom taking a 90-mile-per-hour slap shot from an NHL defenseman in the face. Just the thought of the excruciating pain involved is bone-rattling.

It was Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Boston Bruins on May 27th, 2011 when Steven Stamkos would show he has just what it takes to be victorious in this league.

Five minutes into the second period, Johnny Boychuk of the Bruins let a shot go from the point that deflected up off of Martin St. Louis' stick and up into the face of Stamkos. Stamkos immediately dropped to the ice, grabbing his face in pain. 

Fortunately, he skated off on his own, but Stamkos was bleeding profusely, suffering a broken nose on the play. Just five-and-a-half minutes later, Stamkos returned to action, stitched up and sporting a full cage on his helmet.

It's moments like these that make hockey the glorious game it is, and can define a player's personality. There's more to "Stammer" than flashy moves and one-timers; this guy is a flat-out warrior.