Stamkos adds 1,000 game milestone to already decorated career

Longevity. Durability. Resilience. Perseverance.
One thousand games.
Three hundred seventy-eight skaters in NHL history have hit the 1,000-game milestone, but it certainly isn't easy. If you don't believe me, just look at some of the all-time greats who never made it to 1,000 career games.
For Tampa Bay Lightning captain Steven Stamkos, the expectations were immediately there for the new face of the franchise after being drafted first overall in 2008.
On and off the ice, he's met and exceeded the expectations.

The journey to 1,000 games has had its highs and lows for Stamkos. Along the way, there was a broken leg, core muscle surgery, a torn lateral meniscus, surgery to remove a blood clot and more.
But with all the adversity Stamkos has fought through, there has been a ton of success on the road to 1,000. Two Rocket Richard Trophies, two Stanley Cup rings, seven appearances at the NHL All-Star Game. Don't forget hitting career milestones of 1,000 points, 500 goals, 500 assists, along with a 60-goal season, something accomplished by just 21 other players in the history of the league.
Now, Stamkos is one of the most well-respected captains across the NHL. He's shown a willingness to lead, on and off the ice, whether that's speaking up in the locker room or laying down to block a heavy shot from the point.
"He has all the skill in the world," said Lightning defenseman Ian Cole. "But he competes hard. He battles for pucks. He does all the little things you ask.
"There's a lot of things you ask of players that are hard, and he has zero hesitation to do those things and lead by example.
"He isn't afraid to motivate guys, either by calling people out or pushing guys on. He's a great captain. He's a great hockey player. His production and consistency over his 1,000 games is right up there with anyone.
"I've been fortunate to play with some really great hockey players, really great leaders, and he is very much up on that Mount Rushmore, for sure."
That's high praise coming from a guy that's played with some of the truly great players and leaders of this generation, from Sidney Crosby to Nathan MacKinnon.
And as Stamkos reaches yet another milestone with Tampa Bay, we've seen him evolve into a complete player. He's more than just the pure goal scorer that the Bolts drafted all those years ago. The Lightning's top player at the faceoff circle this season, Stamkos is an underrated passer and, as previously mentioned, has shown a willingness to do whatever it takes to win.
"He's strong on the puck," Cole said. "He can make plays. He's a great passer. I think he's an underrated passer.
"People think of him as a big-time shooter, which he 100% is, but he's a great passer. Really good skater.
"He has all the tools. He's the hockey equivalent of a five-tool player."
As fun as it's been watching his growth on the ice, it's been just as enjoyable seeing those leadership qualities grow year after year. Coming in as an 18-year-old teenager and learning from legends like Martin St. Louis and Vincent Lecavalier, Stamkos is now a 33-year-old man and the true leader of the Bolts locker room.
"He's calm," said Lightning defenseman Mikhail Sergachev. "He's had a lot of experiences in his career here, as a Bolt and as the captain.
"It's just the calmness, from his decisions to the things he says in between periods and after tough games. He's always calm. He knows that the guys are going to listen and turn things around.
"He calms everybody down and brings the patience to our game, too."
If you ask players around the NHL, Stamkos is one of the most well-liked, well-respected players across the league. Through all 1,000 games, he's done things the right way as an honest player that plays the game the way it's supposed to be played.
When you take a look at some of the teams that have enjoyed sustained success this century, what do they all have? Great leadership. The Penguins teams led by Crosby. The incredible run from the Blackhawks led by Jonathan Toews.
The Lightning have arguably sustained their winning culture at a greater success rate than any other team over the past 10 years. A big part of that is leadership.
"Around the league, he's very well-respected," Cole said. "And when you see the success this team has had, it's no surprise.
"I have been fortunate to play on teams with really, really great leadership. I think that guys are captains and assistant captains for a reason, generally speaking, and I think when you're on good teams, which I've been fortunate to be on, you have good leadership. I think those two things coincide.
"With what this team has done over the past decade, it's not surprising at all that he's the captain of this team in terms of his consistency and his leadership. He gets it in the sense of leading by example, but also knowing what to say and when to say it.
"He has zero hesitation to step up in front of the team and say, 'Hey, this isn't good enough. This needs to be better. We need to do this way better.'
"I've been very impressed. I'd heard great things about him when I wasn't on this team. You see this team's success from a distance, and you realize how good the leadership must be.
"Then you get here and that's confirmed. I can't say enough good things.
"I've said this about Sidney Crosby a bunch in the past, but there's a reason why these teams that have been good for this long can just assimilate new players, bring new players in, and have them contribute.
"A lot of that comes from leadership and making sure guys feel accepted into the group and also confident while knowing their role on the team.
"That's what you see in really good teams that are good for a long period of time and that stems, in my mind, from leadership."
That leadership has grown with experience over the years, and that's what has molded the Lightning into the team they are today. With the support of other key players like Victor Hedman and Alex Killorn, that experienced, leadership group is led by Stamkos.
It's been a journey filled with peaks and valleys and, tonight, he joins Lecavalier and becomes just the second player in franchise history to reach the 1,000-game milestone.
A player that will go down in Tampa Bay sports history as one of the most talented athletes to ever grace the city, Stamkos has already had an incredibly successful career.
Luckily for Lightning fans, he's still got plenty of games ahead of him.