Just 30 years ago, the Tampa Bay Lightning franchise assembled a team that took the ice for the first time on Oct. 7, 1992, against the defending Campbell Conference champion, the Chicago Blackhawks. In that game, the Lightning won 7-3 as Chris Kontos scored four goals against goalie Ed Belfour, a two-time Vezina Trophy winner and future Hall of Famer.
The road to this game not only included the expansion draft that was held in conjunction with the Ottawa Senators, who were also joining the NHL at the same time but also their first-ever NHL Entry Draft, conducted on June 20, 1992, at the Montreal Forum in Montreal, Quebec. In that draft, 264 players were selected, with the Lightning having the first overall pick, selecting Roman Hamrlik.
Thirty years later, we will look back at the career of Hamrlik, not only with the Lightning but also his entire NHL career.
Career With the Lightning
Hamrlik stepped into the roster that first season with the Lightning and finished with 21 points (six goals, 15 assists) in 67 games. In all, he spent five seasons with the team and helped lead them to the Stanley Cup Playoffs in the 1995-96 season. The native of Czechia scored 65 points that season, setting a Lightning record that stood with the franchise for over 20 years.
Being an 18-year-old far from home did not make it easy for Hamrlik to transition to a brand new team in the NHL. As he told NHL.com in a 2014 interview, he did not speak any English, which made things even more difficult. “As a kid coming from the Czech Republic and not speaking much English, Tampa was an entirely new world to me,” he said. “I remember seeing myself on a bunch of billboards throughout Tampa. I felt like a movie star.”
While spending only six seasons in Tampa Bay saw him play over 1,300 games in the NHL, Hamrlik has also been grateful for the opportunity to wear the Lightning sweater. “I can’t believe that after all these years of playing hockey I can look back and say that I was part of their team’s history,” Hamrlik said. “I’m just happy that they gave me the opportunity to play and hopefully I performed up to their expectations while I was there.”
Trade to Edmonton
On Dec. 30, 1997, Hamrlik was traded to the Edmonton Oilers along with the rights to Paul Comrie for Bryan Marchment, Steve Kelly, and Jason Bonsignore. After six seasons, he had not quite lived up to the expectations that come with being the first overall selection. Two seasons removed from his All-Star appearance during the 1995-96 season, he struggled with the Lightning even after they made a coaching change in November 1997 when the team fired Terry Crisp and hired Jacques Demers.
When the Oilers acquired Hamrlik, they were in a middle of an eight-game losing streak. However, after the trade, he was instrumental in leading them to a 25-14-1 record over their final 40 games and clinching a spot in the 1998 NHL Playoffs, where they upset the Colorado Avalanche in the first round. Overall, he tallied 22 goals and 91 assists in 196 games over parts of three seasons with the Oilers and was the team’s lone representative in the 1999 All-Star Game.
Rest of NHL Career
Hamrlik officially retired in October 2013 after playing in 1,395 NHL games with the Lightning, Oilers, New York Islanders, Calgary Flames, Montreal Canadiens, Washington Capitals, and, briefly, the New York Rangers. Initially, he was destined to be remembered as a player with one of the worst plus/minus ratings in NHL history. Playing on some very poor Lightning teams, he was a minus-138 through 2001. However, he only had three minus seasons from 2001 through his retirement, finishing at a minus-49.
While being known as a player who frequently delivered hard shots to both the puck and opponents alike, Hamrlik was also a strong power-play quarterback in his day, finishing with 62 power play goals. In all, he was able to tally 638 points in 1,395 games in a career that spanned from 1992 to 2013.
Related: Revisiting Lightning’s First Game 30 Years Ago
Even though he was consistently called out by then-Lightning general manager Phil Esposito for his inconsistent play while being the highest-paid player on the team, Hamrlik did have some kind words for Esposito and the organization when he announced his retirement.
“Because I had the opportunity to play on numerous NHL teams under many general managers and coaches, I want to express my gratitude to all of them. Especially, I would like to thank my first general manager in Tampa Bay, Phil Esposito, who selected me as the first player in Tampa Bay Lightning history, first overall in the 1992 Draft. It was Phil who gave me a chance to play in the NHL, and I value and appreciate him as a GM and a friend to this day.”
While he may have never lived up to the expectations of a number-one draft pick, Hamrlik will still be long remembered for being a part of the infant stages of the Lightning franchise.
