‘He belongs here. We know it. He knows it.’ Cooper on Stamkos

Credit: Apr 6, 2024; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Tampa Bay Lightning center Steven Stamkos (91) celebrates his goal with the Lightning bench against the Pittsburgh Penguins during the third period at PPG Paints Arena. The Penguins won 5-4. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

Following the Tampa Bay Lightning’s loss to the Florida Panthers in game 5 of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs, Lightning captain Steven Stamkos looked around the ice and soaked it all in. With Stamkos’s contract up, his future in Tampa is unclear.

Head coach Jon Cooper opened up in the post-game media availability about the longtime Bolts forward. “He belongs here. We know it. He knows it,” Cooper said. “We’ve grown up together. He’s a heck of a player, but he’s also, you know, I mean, he controls his own destiny, but I don’t know what’s going to happen. But he feels like a Bolt for life, but only he and Julien can answer that one.”

Jon Cooper on Lightning captain Steven Stamkos: "He belongs here. We know it. He knows it."

— Michael Russo (@RussoHockey) April 30, 2024

Earlier in the season, Stamkos spoke on the future and his time in Tampa, “I stated at the end of last year, too, I would love to extend and play here and finish out my career here, but that’s out of my hands,” Stamkos said on Sept. 20 according to NHL.com. “I can’t write the contract myself.”

Stamkos has spent 16 years in Tampa and was named captain in 2013-14. The Markham, Ontario product has tallied 555 goals, 582 assists and 1,137 points in 1,082 games. Stamkos has added 50 goals and 101 points in 128 Stanley Cup Playoff games, winning back-to-back Stanley Cup championships in 2020 and 2021, he helped guide the Bolts to a third straight Stanley Cup Final appearance in 2022.

Stamkos has etched his name into Bolts’ history as he sits first in goals, second in assists and first in points in the all-time record book. He sits just six assists back of Martin St. Louis’s record of 588.

Throughout his illustrious career, Stamkos has won the Maurice Richard Trophy twice as the NHL’s leading goal scorer and was a Hart Trophy Finalist in 2011-12, the same season he scored 60 goals.