2008–09 Tampa Bay Lightning Season
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2008–09 Tampa Bay Lightning Season
The 2008–09 Tampa Bay Lightning season was the list of Tampa Bay Lightning seasons, 17th season for the franchise in Tampa, Florida, Tampa Bay. After a season of turnover in ownership, management and players, the team had a turbulent regular season. The Lightning failed to qualify for the Stanley Cup playoffs. Off-season On June 3, it was announced that head coach John Tortorella would not return to the team despite having one year remaining on his contract. On June 18, 2008, the NHL Board of Governors approved the sale of the Tampa Bay Lightning. The sale of the Lightning was made to movie and television producer Oren Koules. The deal depended the closing of the financial deal of US$200 million to buy the team and lease the St. Pete Times Forum. Koules, 47, played in Medicine Hat and Calgary in the Western Hockey League (WHL) in the early 1980s. In more recent years, he achieved success with the ''Saw (film series), Saw'' movie franchise and the television sitcom ''Two and a ...
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Eastern Conference (NHL)
The Eastern Conference () is one of two conferences in the National Hockey League (NHL) used to divide teams. Its counterpart is the Western Conference (NHL), Western Conference. History Originally named the Prince of Wales Conference (or Wales Conference for short), it was created in 1974–75 NHL season, 1974 when the NHL realigned its teams into two conferences and four divisions. Because the new conferences and divisions had little to do with North American geography, geographical references were removed. The Prince of Wales Trophy dates back to 1925, when it was donated to the League by the Prince of Wales, who later became Edward VIII, King Edward VIII and then the Duke of Windsor. It was originally given to the NHL's playoff champion. (Until 1926, the Stanley Cup was presented to the winner of a post-season playoff between the NHL and Western Canada Hockey League, Western Hockey League champions.) Since 1926–27 NHL season, 1926–27, the Stanley Cup has gone to the NHL' ...
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Western Hockey League
The Western Hockey League (WHL) is a junior ice hockey league based in Western Canada and the Northwestern United States. The WHL is one of three leagues that constitutes the Canadian Hockey League (CHL) as the highest level of junior hockey in Canada, alongside the Ontario Hockey League and Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League. Teams play for the Ed Chynoweth Cup, with the winner moving on to play for the Memorial Cup, Canada's national junior championship. WHL teams have won the Memorial Cup 19 times. The WHL is composed of 23 teams divided into two conferences of two divisions, each. The Eastern Conference comprises 11 teams from Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta, while the Western Conference comprises 12 teams from British Columbia, Washington, and Oregon. The league will expand to 24 teams by 2026 with the addition of a team in Chilliwack, British Columbia. The league was founded in 1966 as the Canadian Major Junior Hockey League (CMJHL), with seven teams in Sas ...
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Minnesota Wild
The Minnesota Wild are a professional ice hockey team based in Saint Paul, Minnesota. The Wild compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division (NHL), Central Division in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Conference. The team plays its home games at the Xcel Energy Center, and is owned by Craig Leipold. The Wild are affiliated with the Iowa Wild of the American Hockey League (AHL) and the Iowa Heartlanders of the ECHL. The Wild were founded on June 25, 1997, and began play in the 2000–01 NHL season, 2000–01 season. The team was founded following the departure of the Minnesota North Stars, who were based in Minnesota from 1967 NHL expansion, 1967 to 1992–93 NHL season, 1993, when they relocated to Dallas, Texas, and became the Dallas Stars. The Wild made their first Stanley Cup playoffs appearance in 2003 Stanley Cup playoffs, 2003, making a surprise run to the Western Conference finals, but ultimately losing to the Anaheim Ducks, Mighty Duc ...
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Brian Rolston
Brian Lee Rolston (born February 21, 1973) is an American former professional ice hockey player who most recently played for the Boston Bruins of the National Hockey League (NHL). He won a Stanley Cup with the New Jersey Devils in 1995, and the World Cup of Hockey in 1996 playing for the United States. Rolston has represented the U.S. three times in Olympic competition for ice hockey. In the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics, he won the silver medal. Rolston was born in Flint, Michigan, but grew up in Ann Arbor, Michigan. He has served as head coach of the Little Caesars 2001 hockey club as well as assisting with the Little Caesars 2005 team. Playing career As a youth, Rolston played in the 1985 and 1987 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournaments with the Detroit Compuware and Detroit Red Wings minor ice hockey teams. Rolston is considered a utility forward, as he can play as a center, left wing and right wing competently. Standing 6'2' and 214 pounds in his playing days, ...
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Pittsburgh Penguins
The Pittsburgh Penguins (colloquially known as the Pens) are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh. The Penguins compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference (NHL), Eastern Conference. The team has played its home games at PPG Paints Arena since 2010, and has previously played at the Civic Arena (Pittsburgh), Civic Arena, which was better known by its nickname "the Igloo". The Penguins are affiliated with two minor league teams – the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins of the American Hockey League (AHL) and the Wheeling Nailers of the ECHL. Founded during the 1967 NHL expansion, 1967 expansion, the Penguins have qualified for six Stanley Cup Finals, winning the Stanley Cup five times – in 1990–91 NHL season, 1991, 1991–92 NHL season, 1992, 2008–09 NHL season, 2009, 2015–16 NHL season, 2016, and 2016–17 NHL season, 2017. Along with the Edmonton Oilers, the Penguins are tied for the most List o ...
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Gary Roberts (ice Hockey)
Gary R. Roberts (born May 23, 1966) is a Canadians, Canadian former professional ice hockey player who played 21 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Calgary Flames, Carolina Hurricanes, Toronto Maple Leafs, Florida Panthers, Pittsburgh Penguins, and Tampa Bay Lightning. Renowned for his physical fitness during his career, Roberts has become a high performance trainer for players at all levels of the sport. Roberts was a member of Memorial Cup and Minto Cup winning teams as Canadian junior hockey and box lacrosse champions, respectively. He was a first round selection of the Calgary Flames, 12th overall, at the 1984 NHL Entry Draft and played ten seasons in Calgary. Roberts was a member of the Flames' 1989 Stanley Cup Finals, 1989 Stanley Cup championship team and made two of his three NHL All-Star Game appearances as a representative of the team. A serious neck injury forced him to miss the majority of two seasons, and while his return earned him the 1996 Bill Mas ...
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Ryan Malone
Ryan Gregory Malone (born December 1, 1979), nicknamed "Bugsy", is an American former professional ice hockey forward. He played in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Pittsburgh Penguins, Tampa Bay Lightning and New York Rangers. In 2003, he became the first Pittsburgh-born and trained player to suit up for the Penguins in an NHL game. Playing career Pittsburgh Penguins Malone was drafted in the fourth round, 115th overall, by his hometown team, the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 1999 NHL Entry Draft. Malone was born near Pittsburgh, where he attended Upper St. Clair High School in suburban Pittsburgh for two years. He played hockey during his junior year at Shattuck-St. Mary's in Faribault, Minnesota, a school later attended by Zach Parise and Sidney Crosby. During his senior year, Malone played with the Omaha Lancers of the United States Hockey League (USHL) and attended Millard North High School. Malone was drafted shortly after graduating high school, and went on t ...
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Columbus Blue Jackets
The Columbus Blue Jackets (often simply referred to as the Jackets) are a professional ice hockey team based in Columbus, Ohio. The Blue Jackets compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference (NHL), Eastern Conference. The franchise began play as an expansion team in 2000–01 NHL season, 2000. The franchise struggled in their initial years, failing to win 30 games in a season until 2005–06 NHL season, 2005–06. The team qualified for the Stanley Cup playoffs for the first time in 2009 Stanley Cup playoffs, 2009, but were swept by the Detroit Red Wings. Columbus ultimately notched their first playoff game victory in the 2014 Stanley Cup playoffs, 2014 playoffs, and won their first playoff series in the 2019 Stanley Cup playoffs, 2019 playoffs against the Tampa Bay Lightning, becoming the first team in NHL history to sweep a Presidents' Trophy winner in the first round. Along with the Seattle Kraken and Utah Mammoth ...
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Marc Denis
Joseph Marc Denis (born August 1, 1977) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender, who last played with the Montreal Canadiens of the National Hockey League (NHL). For the 2009–10 season, he was hired as the goaltenders' coach of the Chicoutimi Saguenéens, a Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) team. He is currently working as a colour analyst for the Canadiens on the Francophone Canadian sports network RDS. He is the all time leader in save percentage in the shootout among goaltenders who have faced at least 40 shootout attempts. Playing career As a youth, Denis played in the 1990 and 1991 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournaments with a minor ice hockey team from Montreal. Denis was drafted 25th overall by the Colorado Avalanche at the 1995 NHL Entry Draft. Upon turning professional with Colorado, Denis mainly played for Colorado's American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Hershey Bears, and played a total of 28 regular season games in three se ...
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ESPN
ESPN (an initialism of their original name, which was the Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by the Walt Disney Company (80% and operational control) and Hearst Communications (20%) through the joint venture ESPN Inc. The company was founded in 1979 by Bill Rasmussen, Scott Rasmussen and Ed Eagan. ESPN broadcasts primarily from studio facilities located in Bristol, Connecticut. The network also operates offices and auxiliary studios in Miami, Orlando, New York City, Las Vegas, Seattle, Charlotte, Washington, D.C., and Los Angeles. James Pitaro has been chairman since March 5, 2018, following the resignation of John Skipper on December 18, 2017. , ESPN is available to approximately 70 million pay television households in the United States—down from its 2011 peak of 100 million households. It operates regional channels in Africa, Australia, Latin America, and the Netherlands. In Ca ...
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Los Angeles Kings
The Los Angeles Kings are a professional ice hockey team based in Los Angeles. The Kings compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division (NHL), Pacific Division in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Conference. The team was founded on June 5, 1967, after Jack Kent Cooke was awarded an NHL expansion franchise for Los Angeles on February 9, 1966, becoming one of the six teams that began play as part of the 1967 NHL expansion. The team plays its home games at Crypto.com Arena in downtown Los Angeles, their home since the start of the 1999–2000 NHL season, 1999–2000 season. Prior to that, the Kings played for 32 years at The Forum (Inglewood, California), the Forum in Inglewood, California, a suburb of the Greater Los Angeles area. During the 1970s and early 1980s, the Kings had many years marked by impressive play in the regular season only to be washed out by early playoff exits. Their highlights in those years included the strong goaltending o ...
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