TAMPA BAY – Just over a year after watching his number 8 raised to the rafters at Gutterson Fieldhouse, the all-time leading scorer in the history of UVM men's hockey Martin St. Louis '97 watched as his number 26 was retired by the NHL's Tampa Bay Lightning last night. St. Louis was honored prior to Tampa Bay's game against the Columbus Blue Jackets at AMALIE Arena. Click below for full coverage of the event from the Lightning. 
 
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Joined by his family, the ceremony included many of his past Lightning teammates, including Dave Andreychuk, Vincent Lecavalier, Fredrick Modin, Tim Taylor, Ruslan Fedotenko, as well as former general manager, Jay Feaster. Speakers for the ceremony included Lightning owner Jeff Vinik, general manager Steve Yzerman, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman, and Lightning captain Steven Stamkos.

St. Louis ranks first in Lightning franchise history in points (953), assists (588), shorthanded goals (28), game winning goals (64), hat tricks (8), and power play points (300). He also ranks second in goals scored (365) and games played (972), while holding the team record for most consecutive games played with 499 spanning more than five seasons from 2005-11.
 
He and former UVM teammate Eric Perrin '97 combined to win the 2004 Stanley Cup with the Lightning. That same season, the forward captured the Art Ross Trophy, the Hart Trophy, and the Ted Lindsay Award. During his final NHL season, St. Louis became the 81st player in NHL history and only the sixth undrafted player to notch 1,000 career points. He won a total of seven major NHL awards and skated in six NHL All-Star Games.
 
St. Louis, whose number 8 was retired at Vermont on Jan. 8, 2016 at Gutterson Fieldhouse, became the first player in the history of the Lightning franchise to have his number retired. He was a three-time All-American for the Catamounts and finished his career with a program-best 267 points.

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