Tampa Bay Lightning unveil statue of Stanley Cup-winning captain Dave Andreychuk
The Hockey News
A little over a week before the 2014 playoffs, the Tampa Bay Lightning honored their past by unveiling a 9-foot statue of their 2004 Stanley Cup-winning captain, Dave Andreychuk.
The bronze statue depicts the battle-worn Andreychuk hoisting the Cup high over his head after leading the Lightning to their first-ever championship.
Andreychuk and his family joined Lightning owner Jeff Vinik to unveil the statue before the Bolts' game against Dallas on Saturday.
"This is a proud day for me and my family," said Andreychuk in a press release.
Andreychuk - now 50 - played for six teams over 22 seasons without winning a Cup until he captained the Bolts to their seven-game victory over the Calgary Flames in 2004.
Over the course of his 23 seasons, he played 1,639 NHL games and tallied 640 goals and 1,338 points.
The 600-pound statue of Andreychuk is the second to go up outside Tampa Bay Times Forum, joining a depiction of Lightning founder and former NHL great Phil Esposito.
The Hamilton, Ontario-born Andreychuk now serves as vice president of corporate and community affairs for the Lightning organization.
