No player is given more credit for the Lightning's early success and first playoff appearance in 1996. And no player is blamed more for the Lightning's free fall to becoming the worst team in the NHL.
In the mid 1990s, Puppa was considered one of the best goalies in the world and in 1995-96, he was a finalist for the Vezina Trophy, given annually to the NHL's best goalie. But in the next four seasons, Puppa and his chronically-injured back played only 50 games.
The Lightning searched in vain for a steady goalie to replace Puppa, who always appeared on the verge of a return before getting hurt again. During that time, the Lightning went from a playoff team to league laughingstock.
Just three weeks ago, when talking about the organization, former Lightning general manager and coach Jacques Demers said, "To tell you the truth, Daren Puppa got hurt too much. If Daren Puppa was healthy, we would have had a better chance."
Despite his injuries, Puppa held the franchise's record for victories until Nikolai Khabibulin passed him this season.
Puppa still lives in Tampa and occasionally pops up at local sporting events, including Lightning games. For the most part, though, he has stayed out of the limelight.
