Congratulating the Tampa Bay Lightning for winning the 2004 National Hockey League Stanley Cup championship and for their outstanding performance during the entire 2003-2004 season.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 668) congratulating the Tampa Bay Lightning for winning the 2004 National Hockey League Stanley Cup championship and for their outstanding performance during the entire 2003-2004 season, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the resolution under consideration.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

I want to thank my good friend and colleague from Tampa, Florida (Mr. Davis) for authoring this resolution and on behalf of the entire Florida delegation and frankly the entire State of Florida, we are delighted to be here to honor an outstanding team.

Mr. Speaker, today I rise to pay tribute to the Tampa Bay Lightning organization, Coach John Tortorella, general manager Jay Feaster, owner Bill Davidson and the entire team on their victory in the Stanley Cup finals.

They all deserve credit for this remarkable achievement, made all the more remarkable by the fact that it is a hockey team in Florida, Mr. Speaker.

The Stanley Cup is North America's oldest professional trophy, but this year's final belonged to the NHL's youngest generation. The Tampa Bay Lightning had won just one playoff series before this season and is the first of the eight franchises added since 1991 to win the coveted cup.

The Tampa Bay Lightning entered the National Hockey League in 1992; and 12 years later, through hard work, class, a strong work ethic, and determination, they are Stanley Cup champions.

Two years ago, few could have imagined the Lightning making the playoffs, much less winning the cup. Before last season, Sports Illustrated rated Tampa Bay as the worst of the NHL's 30 teams. Defying the experts, the Lightning went on to win the Southeast division and accumulated the second most regular season points in the NHL. Now the Lightning has proven itself to be the best team in all of hockey.

Many deserve credit for this remarkable achievement and for turning this team into world champions: Coach John Tortorella for his brilliant leadership and ensuring the team remained focused, motivated, and prepared; owner Bill Davidson for having invested the resources necessary to put a winner on the ice; Captain Dave Andreychuk, who at the age of 40 had played the most games in the NHL without winning the cup; Brad Richards, who won the Conn Smythe Trophy as the playoffs' most valuable player; goal tender Nikolai Khabibulin, also known as the Bulin Wall, for his countless saves; Martin St. Louis, for winning the Hart Trophy as the league's Most Valuable Player; and all the Tampa Bay Lightning players and personnel who worked tirelessly on and off the ice all year to make their dreams become a reality.

Most importantly, I congratulate the fans who have given so much to this team. Through years of suffering, the Lightning fans' determination and patience have paid off. This is truly a victory for the fans.

I commend the champion Tampa Bay Lightning for a wonderful and magical run this year and for all their achievements this season. The people of Florida and the entire Tampa Bay region are proud of them. They have demonstrated to us all that hard work, perseverance, and unity are the foundation of success.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

On behalf of a very proud Tampa Bay area, an area that has been growing an awful lot of champions in a variety of sports over the last several years, I urge adoption of House Resolution 668.

Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to congratulate the Tampa Bay Lighting for winning the 2004 Stanley Cup.

The Lighting is a remarkable success story. Many people, including me, wondered whether this expansion team could compete against traditional hockey powerhouses when they joined the league 12 years ago. We wondered whether a sport played primarily in Canada and the northern-most regions of America could survive in an area where sand and sun are the two top attractions. We wondered whether the community would embrace a team dominated by foreign players playing a sport with rules unfamiliar to many of us.

The answer to these questions is a resounding yes. The Lighting has shown what can be accomplished when you combine skill with hard work, determination, and an unyielding will to win. Tampa Bay won the Eastern Conference championship this year, posting a stellar 46-22-8-6 record along the way. Then they defeated perennial hockey powers New York Islanders, Montreal Canadians, and Philadelphia Flyers to reach the Stanley Cup finals.

The Lightning then endured a grueling seven game final against a talented Calgary team which used its physical-style of play to batter and bruise the boys from Tampa Bay. Goalie Nikolai Khabibulin posted one strong game in goal after another. The under-sized but over- achieving Right Winger, Martin St. Louis--once a Flame--rifled shot after shot by and around Calgary defenders. His remarkable season ended with being named league MVP. Center Vincent Lecavalier played with a toughness which inspired his teammates, as did Left Winger Ruslan Fedotenko, who despite being slammed head-first into the boards in game five, returned to score both of Tampa Bay's goals in game seven.

I want to congratulate Tampa Bay's coach, John Tortorella, for devising a winning strategy and keeping his charges together during the season's many tough times. I also want to commend Brad Richards, winner of the Conn Smythe Trophy for finals MVP, and Dave Andreychuk, the team's captain, who finally hoisted the Cup after an exemplary 22 year career.

I am proud that Tampa Bay's players won with class and its fans celebrated with sportsmanship. The Lightning refused to engage in the thuggery and cheap shots which contributed to Calgary's demise. Their fans showed that you can celebrate victory and revel in championship without the rioting, looting, and lawlessness in which fans in other so-called big-time sports cities engage. Let there be no doubt; Tampa is a big-time sports city, one whose teams and fans set a standard which others would do well to follow.

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to represent the hard-working men and women of the Tampa Bay area in Congress. I am especially gratified that two of its professional sports teams, the Buccaneers and now the Lightning, have reached the pinnacle of their professions and shown the spirit, determination, and sportsmanship that have come to exemplify Tampa Bay, or as others should call it, Titletown. I commend the Lightning on winning the 2004 Stanley Cup and for capturing the imagination and hearts of a city along the way. I wish them well in next season's title defense.

Mr. Speaker, I am here with the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Putnam) on behalf of several representatives from the Tampa Bay area to add a few words of pride and satisfaction at this remarkable achievement. Yes, we heard that right. A Florida hockey team in the Tampa Bay area is taking the Stanley Cup home, a truly remarkable feat.

The Tampa Bay area is also considered the lightning capital of the world. Not many people know that. And this victory in the Stanley Cup confirms that we are a capital of the world now in hockey because of the Tampa Bay Lightning. In just 12 seasons, this team has succeeded after 23 games in a playoff series in 2 months in winning the Stanley Cup.

I would like to also highlight some of the remarkable individual feats that the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Putnam) alluded to: the sensational saves of goalie Nicolai Khabibulin to maintain a one-goal lead in one of the key games; the work of Dave Andreychuk, who was mentioned, he played for 22 years, waited this long to win the Stanley Cup, setting a tie in terms of the longest amount of service before winning the Stanley Cup; Brad Richards, the MVP of the Stanley Cup playoffs with 12 goals and 14 assists; the scoring touch of Ruslan Fedotenko, who scored both goals in Game 7 against Calgary; Martin St. Louie, who is only 5 foot 9 inches tall, but makes up for that with tremendous height and heart, scored the thrilling goal in the second overtime in Game 6 with Calgary.

Many of these players I mentioned and others received awards. Our Coach Tortorella was honored with the Jack Adams Award as the National Hockey League's coach of the year based on this record. There are many teams that have played in the NHL far longer than the Tampa Bay Lightning who have yet to obtain the Stanley Cup. That is what makes this victory all the sweeter.

I would just close by saying that the Tampa Bay Lightning did not just win the Stanley Cup. They won with class, with style, with grace, which I might add is hard to do sometimes in the fiercely competitive world of hockey. They reflected on the outside what all of us in the Tampa Bay area knew was on the inside, that we represent a community with a lot of heart, a lot of determination, a lot of perseverance, and I want to join the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Putnam) and other representatives in the Tampa Bay area in congratulating the owner, Bill Davidson; the general manager, Jay Feaster; the coach; the players; the entire Lightning organization; and all the fans of Tampa Bay for a job well done.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

It is my great pleasure to take the time today to congratulate the Tampa Bay Lightning for winning the 2004 National Hockey League Stanley Cup championship and to salute them for their outstanding performance throughout the season.

Though only in the league for 12 seasons, the Lightning have quickly ascended to the pinnacle of their sport and won the hearts not only of their hometown fans in Tampa Bay but of fans all over the world. Tampa Bay fans respect that the team plays hockey the way it is supposed to be played, with hard work, discipline, and teamwork.

Special mention must be made of team captain Dave Andreychuk. After playing in one of the roughest professional leagues in the world for 21 years, retiring must have seemed the logical step to take. Instead, this true team leader rejoined his teammates for an outstanding 22nd season.

It is not always the case in sports that the most deserving team wins. Fortunately, the Lightning of Tampa Bay have been awarded the Stanley Cup for their valiant play. The Tampa area is famous for its scorching lightning and the Tampa community sure hopes this Lightning will strike twice.

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the good gentleman from Florida (Mr. Davis), the author of the resolution.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to praise the Tampa Bay Lightning hockey team, coaches and staff as 2003-2004 champions of the National Hockey League.

One week ago today, the ``Ning'' skated to a game seven victory and won the coveted, 112-year-old championship trophy: ``Lord Stanley's Cup.''

I'd also like to recognize the outstanding, devoted fans of the Tampa Bay area.

This year's team showed the spirit, work ethic, tenacity and sportsmanship that is illustrative of the Central Florida community they live in.

The players, coaches and staff not only provide the fans with a great sense of community by uniting them and providing entertainment, many of them give back to the community by volunteering in schools, hospitals and other community centers.

On behalf of the thousands of loyal Lightning fans I represent in the suburbs north of Tampa, I am delighted to recognize the Tampa Bay Lightning for winning the Stanley Cup last week.