Ringing true

Some players don't attend the private ceremony, called a "joke" by an angry Tim Taylor.

By TOM JONES
Published November 17, 2004

[Times photo: Joseph Garnett Jr.] Lightning captain Dave Andreychuck waited 22 seasons for his first Stanley Cup ring.

Click here for larger image

TAMPA - The private ceremony was tucked away in the basement of the St. Pete Times Forum, away from adoring fans. The players then walked virtually unnoticed across the street and through the lobby of the Marriott Waterside for a quiet lunch. Nearly a dozen players were missing.

Lightning players and staff received their enormous Stanley Cup rings Tuesday, but it wasn't the day most of them thought it would be. Instead of collecting their rings on the ice inside a packed Times Forum, Lightning players held a low-key event with no fanfare because of the NHL lockout.

"I don't think we'll ever forget the treatment the NHL has given our team in trying not to let this happen," forward Tim Taylor said. "It was a joke. For this community not to share in this? I think it's a slap in the face the NHL has given our fans because they should've been involved.

"This should have been at the Forum in front of 22,000 people as we walk up and get the rings and open it up and show the fans. I personally feel the NHL has taken some of that away from us."

The NHL had concerns about the Lightning hosting an event for the players seeing as how owners and players are in the middle of an ugly labor dispute that threatens the season. Frank Brown, the NHL's vice president/media relations, said the league wasn't trying to stop the event but had concerns "about the level of participation of the organization in any type of ceremony."

Finally, the Lightning received permission from the NHL to invite the players to the Times Forum to pick up the rings. But only 15 players, including several no longer with the Lightning such as Jassen Cullimore, Ben Clymer and Cory Stillman, could attend. Several key players, including Martin St. Louis, Nikolai Khabibulin and Vinny Lecavalier, did not attend. There was no pomp and circumstance and no Stanley Cup.

Lightning players wanted the Cup at Tuesday's lunch, but it was booked to appear in Minnesota. That led Taylor, the Lightning's player representative to the union, to take a shot at commissioner Gary Bettman.

"I think the little guy at the NHL who is running this thing ... it's a joke what he has made this day into," Taylor said. "I wouldn't be surprised after this thing is over that we play for some other trophy other than the Stanley Cup. I really don't think he cares too much about the Stanley Cup."

Still, Taylor and his teammates proudly showed off their rings, believed to be worth between $15,000 and $20,000. Each ring has 138 diamonds - one for every point earned during the regular season and two for the 16 postseason victories. Each player's ring has his name, jersey number and the postseason series victories with the opponent's logo (4-3 over the Flames, 4-3 over the Flyers, 4-0 over the Canadiens and 4-1 over the Canadiens). Blue diamonds, a nod to the Lightning's major color, make up the Stanley Cup on the ring. Those diamonds were sent to Israel to be "radiated" - or make them blue.

"It's a little big to wear every day," forward Ruslan Fedotenko said. "I think I'll wear it on special occasions."

No one seemed more proud than captain Dave Andreychuk, who played 22 seasons before winning his first Cup last season.

"It symbolizes what we have done," Andreychuk said. "We can always look back at what happened, but now you have something on your hand that can symbolize it."

The players, coaches, executives and some staff members received the top version of the ring. Only 46 were made, and no more will be produced, not even if someone wanted to purchase one.

The rest of the Lightning staff received a toned-down version of the players' ring, and players can select a gift for their wives or girlfriends from a catalog supplied by Intergold, the Calgary-based company that manufactured the rings.

Tuesday, though, was the players' day.

"It was under different circumstances. That's for sure," forward Brad Richards said.

"But to see some of the guys again, to hang out with the guys and to get our rings, that was pretty cool."

After the lunch, players again headed in different directions. Richards leaves for Russia next week to join Lecavalier and Khabibulin in the Russian league. Fedotenko is on his way back to Iowa to skate with his former junior team. Many will return to Canada.

And Taylor will wait to see what happens next with the lockout.

"There is nothing going on, but there really is no timeline," Taylor said. "There is no real threat to this season being canceled right now. If it comes near the end of December, obviously, that's when talks will heat up for sure."

For one day, though, the Lightning players could relive their greatest moment and receive a rather expensive souvenir. That one day, though, could have been better.

"To see these guys' reaction, wow, that was neat," Taylor said. "It was just unfortunate that under the circumstances, we couldn't have shared this with more of the community who helped us do this. I feel bad because the fans should've been involved in this."

[Last modified November 17, 2004, 00:03:19]