Steven Stamkos

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Stamkos was born on February 7, 1990, and grew up in Unionville, Ontario. He played for the Markham Waxers in the Eastern AAA Hockey League and won eight OMHA titles in a row in minor hockey. After a season with the minor Waxers where he scored 197 points over 66 games, he was selected first overall in the 2006 OHL Draft by the Sarnia Sting. In his rookie OHL season, he recorded 92 points (42 goals and 50 assists) over 63 games and won the Bobby Smith Trophy as the OHL's scholastic player of the year. The following season, he improved to 58 goals and 105 points over 61 games and was selected to the CHL first All-Star team. As the 2008 NHL entry draft approached, Stamkos was largely seen as the best available center. The Tampa Bay Lightning, by virtue of their previous season in which they won an NHL-worst 31 games, owned the first pick. As expected, Stamkos was selected first overall by Tampa Bay on July 29, 2008.

In Their Own Story

Stamkos played in his first NHL game on October 4, 2008, in Prague, Czech Republic. He recorded his first point – a secondary assist – in his eighth game, on a goal scored by Vincent Lecavalier against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Following the game, Stamkos commented that his hometown support was "louder than when the Leafs scored." He scored his first goal the next game against Ryan Miller of the Buffalo Sabres. After 54 games, Stamkos recorded the first NHL hat-trick of his career, on February 17, 2009. The three goals enabled Stamkos to become the first rookie in Lightning history to score three goals in a game. He also became the second-youngest player in NHL history to record a natural hat-trick. Though Stamkos was heavily criticized for his lack of production during the first half of the season, he finished the season with 19 points in his final 20 games. In his rookie season, Stamkos totaled 23 goals, 23 assists and 46 points in 79 games. In the 2009 off-season, Stamkos spent the summer training extensively with newly retired NHL player Gary Roberts, working on adding strength and endurance. In the 2009–10 season, his second year in the NHL, Stamkos had a breakout season. On April 10, the second-to-last day of the season, Stamkos reached the 50-goal mark for the season when he scored two goals against the Florida Panthers. He ended the season with 51 goals, tied for most in the NHL with Sidney Crosby; the two shared the Rocket Richard Trophy. Stamkos became the third-youngest player to score 50 goals in a season, after Wayne Gretzky and Jimmy Carson. Stamkos began the 2010–11 season with nine goals and 10 assists for 19 points in the first 10 games, resulting in him being named the NHL’s first star of the month for October. On December 20, 2010, Stamkos scored his 26th goal of the season and the 100th of his career, leading the Lightning past the Carolina Hurricanes 5–1. The milestone goal came in his 194th NHL game.

Reader's Guide

Stamkos is a two-time Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy winner as the NHL's leading goal-scorer (2010 and 2012), while also the runner-up three other times (in 2011, 2013 and 2015). He was a Mark Messier Leadership Award winner (2023), a two-time NHL second team All-Star (2011, 2012), and has been named to seven NHL All-Star Games. Nicknamed "Stammer", he has scored the most goals and the most points of any player born in the 1990s. He was also a Hart Memorial Trophy finalist in 2012 as the most valuable player to his team, a two-time Ted Lindsay Award finalist (2011 and 2012) as the best player judged by the NHLPA. In addition, he was the runner-up for the Art Ross Trophy as the leading point-scorer two consecutive times (2012 and 2013).

Did You Know?

• Stamkos is of Macedonian and Scottish descent.
• He won eight OMHA titles in a row in minor hockey.
• He was teammates with NHLer P. K. Subban during his time with the North York Canadiens.
• Stamkos became the third-youngest player to score 50 goals in a season, after Wayne Gretzky and Jimmy Carson.
• He scored the 100th goal of his NHL career in his 194th game.