The Lightning won the Stanley Cup last season in an empty arena in Edmonton, a neutral site almost 3,000 miles from here.
In many ways, it was special.
It was arguably the hardest championship to win in the history of the NHL, with the 2019-20 season being paused March 12, 2020, and restarted with a unique 24-team tournament with no fans in the stands in Toronto and Edmonton from Aug. 1-Sept. 28.
The executives, coaches, players and staff members had only each other, living under strict protocols in bubbles. Coach Jon Cooper talked about how the hotel would empty as teams were eliminated.
The Lightning were the last to check out, along with the team they defeated in six games in the Cup Final, the Dallas Stars.
But it wasn't the same. It wasn't the way it was supposed to be. As Cooper said Monday morning, "Hockey's meant to be played in front of fans."
"That's what the game's all about, is sharing it with your community and feeling that energy and excitement," forward Blake Coleman said.
The Lightning revealed their Stanley Cup banner Jan. 13 in an empty Amalie Arena as the League embarked on a 2020-21 season amid the ongoing pandemic -- 56 games, temporarily realigned divisions, more protocols.
But they didn't raise the banner to the rafters, because they wanted to wait for the fans.
"When the time is right," Stamkos said that night, "we're looking forward to having the fans back."
The time came March 13, when the Lightning were allowed to have 3,800 fans in the stands under local regulations and NHL protocols.
Late in the regular season, the attendance grew to 4,200. As the Stanley Cup Playoffs progressed, so did the attendance, from 9,508 to 9,762 to 10,092 to 13,544 to 13,773 to 14,513 to 14,771 to 14,791 to 14,805.