2004 - Lord Stanley needs a TAN

Hockey in Canada meet Hockey in Tampa Bay

In 2004, the Tampa Bay Lighting, who only years ago where a new expansion club, and typically near the bottom of the standings, were having a great season, even make the NHL playoffs. As the long playoff season wore onit started to appear that there was something magical about the Lighting and that something special may be happening in Tampa Bay.

The Tampa Bay community was sensing it and the Lighting would not disappoint. The Lighting had just beaten another team from Philly for the conference title (just like the Bucs had beaten the Eagles), and now were in the NHL finals.  A young team from FLORIDA was about to play a team from Canada, the birthplace of hockey, for the world championship and the Stanley Cup.  It was_____!  There was NO WAY a team from FLORIDA should even be ALLOWED to play for The Stanley Cup!  They didn’t have real fans!  Tampa fans didn’t know the difference between a Stanley Cup and a damn DIXIE CUP!  But the series was on and the community of Tampa Bay was fired up!

Here came the Lighting!  And if Smack could come up with a shirt that might further annoy the Canadians, well that type of fun shouldn’t be passed up!  Not only was the Lord Stanley Needs a Tan t-shirt and big hit with Lighting fans, the media loved it too.  Oh but the NHL did send us a nasty letter.  I guess the unlicensed shirt was just too much fun!  Like many of the big boys, if the shirt make you think of their game, they want the control and $$!  Still, this shirt became legendary and one that still today fans in Tampa Bay remember fondly.