Bolts Retire St. Louis' Number 26, Leaves Legacy in Tampa...

Marty always had heart. It's what kept him going despite his size. It's what helped land him with the Lightning in 2000 when it seemed like there was nowhere else for him to go. It's what made him the best player in hockey when the Lightning won the Cup. It's why he should make the Hall of Fame. And it's how he should be remembered in Tampa Bay. 

Let me start this post by telling a story, one that has resonated with me since the pinnacle of my playing days and at the height of my interest level in hockey. Back almost ten years ago, I had the privilege of attending hockey camp at the University of Vermont as part of a select camp, which featured the best players in New England for my age group. Among other participants in this camp were names like Cam Atkinson and Jonathan Quick and I was lucky to be among this group.

Unbeknownst to myself and many other campers, UVM was the summer home to Tampa Bay Lightning great Martin St. Louis and was his home base for training in the off-season. One day during camp, while we were supposed to be listening to drill instructions from the counselors, the collective group among us found ourselves fixated on watching this man running the stairs of the Gutterson Fieldhouse with a sack of potatoes resting on each shoulder. This exercise would continue for minutes at a time, which unquestionably led to the screw-up of said drill and would result in us campers lining up on the goal line to perform sprints as punishment.

This image will forever remain in my mind, not because it looked incredibly insane, but as a source of inspiration. No one worked harder and did it better than Marty, from his Stanley Cup championship in 2004 with the Lightning to his leadership to finish out his career for the New York Rangers. He's one of those guys who I could imagine watched the scene in Rudy time and time again as he tried to make a splash in the NHL (You're five-foot nothin', a hundred and nothin', etc. etc.)

Anyone who knows me knows there are two guys who I've considered my favorites growing up watching the NHL: Jaromir Jagr number one because he has the distinct honor of sharing a birthday with me, and Marty St. Louis number 1A because of his size, grit and determination to leave a legacy in the league in which he played ironically at...five foot nothin' and one hundred and nothin'. People forget that coming into the league with the Calgary Flames, he almost fizzled out altogether. However, pairing with fellow Lightning-great Vinny Lecavalier and spunky coach John Tortorella led not only to a championship in Tampa in 2004, but to a career that is unquestionably deemed successful both on and off the ice. Congrats to one of the all-time good guys, Marty did it right and inspired undersized athletes both near and far.

http://www.tampabay.com/sports/hockey/lightning/fennelly-marty-st-louis-stands-tall-as-lightnings-greatest-most-inspiring/2309599