There was a debate as to whether veteran Martin St. Louis or young, proven goal-scorer (and the future of the team) Steven Stamkos would captain the Tampa Bay Lightning prior to the season. The veteran winger got the nod, with the team going for the more experienced candidate.

With St. Louis requesting a trade and being shipped off to New York, the Lightning once again had a captain's vacancy. This time, it was filled with the only candidate they had.

Stamkos would be named captain, an honor that would have followed soon anyway, under less than ideal circumstances.

"I was just hoping I didn't fall on the ice. It was a tremendous honor. It's not really the way I envisioned it happening. But under the circumstances, I want to be the leader on this team," Stamkos told Joe Smith of the Tampa Bay Times.

Head coach Jon Cooper knew it was only a matter of time until Stamkos had the "C" on his jersey.

"He's always had exceptional leadership in him," Cooper told Smith, "I just think he always took a backseat to other players that were here. And it wasn't that he was nervous. It was a respect thing. He wasn't going to step on anybody's toes."

It's the Stamkos era in Tampa now, something Cooper believes will work out just fine. "It just shows the class the kid has. But it's time. I think this is the right time for him to take this team over."

Lightning forward Nate Thompson agrees with the captaincy along with every other player in the dressing room.

"When Stammer speaks, everybody listens," Thompson said.

It surely doesn't hurt that Stamkos is the team's best player, with 23 points in 19 games this season and a league-best 0.69 goals per game over the past three years.