| 1 | House Resolution |
| 2 | A resolution commending the Tampa Bay Lightning for their |
| 3 | outstanding 2004 ice hockey season and Stanley Cup victory |
| 4 | against the Calgary Flames. |
| 5 |
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| 6 | WHEREAS, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration |
| 7 | in 2002 declared Rwanda the "Lightning Capital of the World," |
| 8 | and |
| 9 | WHEREAS, the National Hockey League's Tampa Bay Lightning |
| 10 | unraveled the findings of those at NASA by unequivocally |
| 11 | declaring on June 7, 2004, that Tampa is truly the "Lightning |
| 12 | Capital of the World" as the Bolts extinguished the Calgary |
| 13 | Flames in the seventh and final game for the Stanley Cup, and |
| 14 | WHEREAS, the team is 25 players strong, including Captain |
| 15 | Dave Andreychuk, with 22 years in the National Hockey League and |
| 16 | holder of the NHL record of 270 power-play goals; Brad Richards, |
| 17 | winner of the Conn Smythe Trophy and the Lady Byng Trophy; |
| 18 | Martin St. Louis, winner of the Hart Trophy, the Pearson Award, |
| 19 | and the Art Ross Trophy; Ruslan Fedotenko, who delivered both of |
| 20 | Tampa Bay's goals in the final game; Goaltender Nikolai |
| 21 | Khabibulin, who masterfully protected the one-goal lead in the |
| 22 | third period; along with owner Bill Davidson, CEO Tom Wilson, |
| 23 | President Ron Campbell, and General Manager Jay Feaster, and |
| 24 | WHEREAS, the team arose from humble beginnings, playing in |
| 25 | a barn at the Florida State Fairgrounds followed by three |
| 26 | seasons in a baseball stadium, then skating to the ultimate |
| 27 | hockey victory in the St. Pete Times Forum after being |
| 28 | successfully challenged by head coach John Tortorella, who later |
| 29 | won the Jack Adams Award as Coach of the Year, NOW, THEREFORE, |
| 30 |
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| 31 | Be It Resolved by the House of Representatives of the State of |
| 32 | Florida: |
| 33 |
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| 34 | That the Tampa Bay Lightning is congratulated on winning |
| 35 | the 2004 Stanley Cup, making Tampa the home of the best |
| 36 | professional hockey team in North America and keeping the |
| 37 | Stanley Cup in the United States of America. |
| 38 | BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this resolution be |
| 39 | presented to the Tampa Bay Lightning as a tangible token of the |
| 40 | sentiments expressed herein. |