For 16 years, Steven Stamkos donned a jersey emblazoned with a Tampa Bay Lightning bolt. He never thought he would wear another logo in his NHL career. But as he walked around Bridgestone Arena Tuesday wearing a polo shirt adorned with a Nashville Predators logo, it finally felt real. He was beginning a new chapter. “It's different, I'm not going to lie,” said Stamkos, who signed a four-year, $32 million contract with the Predators when free agency opened July 1. “When you're so used to something and you've been ingrained with that color pattern over the years, even when we signed and people did mock ups and Photoshops of me in the jersey, it took a little time to get used to. But that's normal. That's part of that process, the shock and awe of the first week and letting that play out and then the excitement starts to build and you start pinching yourself [thinking about] playing the game in a different atmosphere with the fans." Nashville Predators forward Steven Stamkos speaks to the media at his first in-person availability since signing a four-year, $32 million contract in free agency. "[The Predators] really went out of their way to entice me to come be here, that means a lot to me and my family to have the support and the belief in me as a person as a player and that played into the decision making as well," Stamkos said. "But I think the more we see the colors and the jerseys and just the overall support that this team has in this city, it's going to feel a lot like our new home pretty quickly.” The transition away from the only NHL organization he has ever known – the one he captained to back-to-back Stanley Cup championships and the one in which he sits atop the franchise leaderboards in goals (555) and points (1,137) – is a bittersweet one for Stamkos, his wife, Sandra, and their two young sons. "We've heard nothing but amazing things about not only the organization here, but the city and about raising kids here and the school system - all those things that come into play when you're trying to make that decision," Stamkos said. "And we've just been overjoyed with some of the responses that we've received.” Stamkos noted that he and his family had been in "constant contact" with the family of Predators defenseman Luke Schenn, his former teammate in Tampa, as they have navigated this transition to a new organization and a new city. "That's always helpful when you're in an unfamiliar situation like we are right now," Stamkos said. "So, it's been really smooth so far. After the first week of just digesting everything that went on, the excitement is real now and we're looking forward to making the move.” Stamkos' visit to Nashville this week marked the start of a new chapter not only for him, but also for Predators hockey. The new logo and new colors may take some getting used to, but Stamkos' ultimate goal with his new teammates remains unchanged: "We want to win a Stanley Cup."
