Dear Lightning Fans,

Jeff Vinik It is with great respect and pride that I write to you today as the new Vice President and General Manager of your Tampa Bay Lightning. When offered this opportunity by owner Jeff Vinik to further my career, I carefully considered my options; looking for committed, solid ownership and an organization that would strive to be first class from top to bottom, through all facets of the business. In the end, I found Tampa Bay to be the perfect place for me. And I think you’ll find the Lightning to be worthy of your support as well.

It was not easy to leave the Detroit Red Wings after 27 years and four Stanley Cups as a player and an executive. The organization was built on loyalty, integrity and hard work, and our sustained success there proved the formula works. I want to bring a similar approach to Tampa Bay and I think we can achieve our goal of being a consistent winner on and off the ice.

As a loyal, passionate Lightning fan, I know you remember 2004 and the great feelings and pride that came with winning the Stanley Cup. I remember Tampa Bay and the St. Pete Times Forum from my playing days. With you in the seats cheering, it was one of the loudest buildings in the league. We want to give you reason to cheer like you did that magical year.

With young talents like Steven Stamkos, Victor Hedman and perennial All Stars like Vincent Lecavalier and Martin St. Louis forming our nucleus, I feel very good about our future. We intend on hiring an innovative, driven head coach that will help these players maximize their potential, while giving us the best possible chance to win every time we step on the ice.

I do not want to make any short term promises that we can not deliver, but I will pledge to you a methodical, strategic approach to developing a winner that you can be proud of for a long time. I am here to help in the process of “Bringing It Back”. I look forward to doing so and look forward to seeing YOU back in your seats for many seasons to come.

Sincerely,

Steve Yzerman
Vice President and General Manager