Vincent Lecavallier (photo below), also known as Vinnie, is a former professional Canadian hockey player who played as the center forward. During his career he performed in the United States of America and Russia. He played for Tampa Bay Lightning, Philadelphia Flyers, Los Angeles Kings and Kazan Ak Bars. He is the owner of the 2004 Stanley Cup as part of the Tampa Bay Lightning Club of the National Hockey League (NHL). Between 2000 and 2001, Vincent Lecavallier was the captain of Tampa Bay Lightning, in total spent 14 seasons in the NHL for the club (1998-2013).
In the 2012/13 season, it was bought back by Philadelphia Flyers for $ 22.5 million, and the contract was designed for five years. In 2007, the hockey player became the NHL top scorer, for which he received the “Maurice Richard Trophy”. The growth of the hockey player is 193 centimeters, and weight - 93 kg, has a left grip.
On February 10, 2018, game number 4, under which V. Lecavalier played in Tampa throughout his career, was officially withdrawn from the club’s circulation and raised above the Amali Arena.
Biography
Vincent Lecavallier was born on the twenty-first of April 1980 in Canada, on the island of Ile-Bizar, Quebec. From an early age he became interested in and engaged in hockey.
After spending a great season at Rimoski Oceanic (Junior League of Quebec), the player was announced in the 1998 draft, where he was selected under the first number. In his final and farewell junior season, Vincent Lecavallier scored 86 goals and gave 132 assist, and a total of 218 points in 122 games of the regular season. Due to his sporting success, Vincent was very popular within Quebec. In 1998, the hockey player was named the best young athlete in the province. At the same time, Lecavalier successfully performed at the international level, defending the honor of the Canadian national team up to 18 years. Later, the player repeatedly performed at the world championships as part of an adult team, where he often performed productive and useful actions.
Career at Tampa Bay Lightning
In 1998, Vincent Lecavallier was enrolled in the Tampa, through a draft. The talented young center forward was already so popular and famous that many experts proclaimed him the future “Michael Jordan Hockey”.
On March 1, 2000, before reaching the age of twenty, Vincent Lecavallier entered his name in the history of the club and the NHL as the youngest captain of the team. He was only 19 years old. Earlier this title was worn by Steve Ezerman from the Detroit Red Wings club, who was awarded the captain title at the age of 21.
However, Vincent did not live up to expectations and later lost his title in the 2001/02 season. The club management decided that he was too young, even as a player of high caliber.
In 2004, V. Lecavalier spent an incredible season, especially noting at the Stanley Cup tournament. The young technical striker played a key role in the victory of the National Hockey League's most important trophy. In the same year, he was named the MVP of the Canadian national team at the 2004 World Cup, which Canadians won.
Vincent Lecavalier about Russia
In the 2004/05 season, Lecavalier spent in Kazan “Ak Bars”, where he moved with his teammates Nikolai Khabibulin and Brad Richards. According to the results of the championship of the Continental Hockey League, Vincent scored 16 points in his asset, and the club took fourth place.
The Canadian striker often shared his impressions of Russian hockey with reporters. Vincent noted that in Russia, hockey players play roughly against players who do not own the puck. At the same time, Vincent himself was always famous for his rude and unprincipled game in selection. Levalle also said that in Russian hockey arenas have a more even and spacious appearance. In the NHL, the game focuses more on contact wrestling than on tactics and space, because it was difficult for him to adapt to the new format at the beginning of the season, and the injury did not allow him to fully reveal himself in Ak Bars.
