Comments on: A Right of Ownership? http://www.boltsmag.com/2005/01/27/a-right-of-ownership/ Tampa Bay Lightning Weblog Tue, 17 Mar 2009 23:26:16 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 By: Jes Golbez http://www.boltsmag.com/2005/01/27/a-right-of-ownership/comment-page-1/#comment-391 Jes Golbez Thu, 27 Jan 2005 19:33:40 +0000 /?p=442#comment-391 The Stanley Cup doesn't truly belong to the NHL (they are trustees) nor the Lightning. The Lightning do not have any inherited right to 'defend' the cup, since they simply won the cup for the 2003-04 season and nothing else. Once any/next season starts, it's back to Square One for all teams. It would be different if the Bolts were guaranteed a spot in the playoffs and/or finals to 'defend' the cup. The Lightning will always have the title as 2003-04 Stanley Cup Champions. That is all they won, nothing more. When the Cup was first awarded, the seasons were 'microseasons' at best...10 or so games with a playoffs...or simply mini-tournaments with champions from various regional leagues...there were no long 80-game seasons when the cup first came out. Does that make those victories cheapened? The Stanley Cup doesn’t truly belong to the NHL (they are trustees) nor the Lightning. The Lightning do not have any inherited right to ‘defend’ the cup, since they simply won the cup for the 2003-04 season and nothing else. Once any/next season starts, it’s back to Square One for all teams. It would be different if the Bolts were guaranteed a spot in the playoffs and/or finals to ‘defend’ the cup.

The Lightning will always have the title as 2003-04 Stanley Cup Champions. That is all they won, nothing more.

When the Cup was first awarded, the seasons were ‘microseasons’ at best…10 or so games with a playoffs…or simply mini-tournaments with champions from various regional leagues…there were no long 80-game seasons when the cup first came out. Does that make those victories cheapened?

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