Even with guys like Steven Stamkos and Martin St.Louis in the picture in Tampa Bay right now, Vincent Lecavalier has been the long-time face of the organization. After putting up 218 points – 86-132-218 – through 122 games and adding 155 penalty minutes during his two-year stint in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League with the Rimouski Océanic, the NHL scouts knew what to expect from this young talent. Drafted by the Lightning 1st overall in the 1998 NHL Entry Draft, Lecavalier was one of the most heavily scouted prospects dating back to his early teenage years. When he was drafted, Art Williams, then owner of the Lightning, proclaimed that Lecavalier would become “the Michael Jordan of hockey.”
He was named the captain after his sophomore season, which made him the youngest captain in NHL history at that time (Sidney Crosby now holds the record). As the winner of many on-ice awards such as: the Stanley Cup; the “Rocket” Richard Trophy; the Mark Messier Leadership Award; the NHL Foundation Award; the King Clancy Award; as well as numerous appearances in the NHL All-Star game and owning many franchise scoring records, this talented center and captain of the Tampa Bay Lightning is more concerned with the things he can accomplish off the ice and the people he can help out rather than the personal awards he can rack up throughout the NHL season.
Lecavalier established his own foundation called the Vinny Lecavalier Foundation and committed a total of $3 million in 2003 to the All Children’s Hospital in St. Petersburg, Florida to build the new Vincent Lecavalier Pediatric Cancer and Blood Disorders Center. The Vinny Lecavalier Foundation gives hope to children and families battling pediatric cancer and blood disorders and helps fund medical research, programming and pediatric care through the new Vincent Lecavalier Pediatric Cancer and Blood Disorders Centre. The new Vincent Lecavalier Center opened January, 2010, and is located on the 7th floor of the All Children’s Hospital, spanning out to 28,000 square feet. The 28 individual rooms on the floor are for pediatric cancer and blood disorder patients, as well as those receiving blood or marrow transplants and each room has enough space for both parents to spend the night with their child.
Lecavalier understands what it means to be a team player on the ice and he carries that mentality with him off the ice. He understands that no one can get through an illness or cure an illness on their own so they need as much help as possible. Throughout the season he invites families of children with cancer to enjoy Lightning home games from his VIP suite at St. Pete Times Forum because he is a player who understands his role as not only a pro athlete, but as the face of an entire organization. He has the “C” because of his leadership that he displays both on and off the ice and the positivity he spreads all around the community.
To find out more about the Vinny Lecavalier Foundation, visit http://www.vinny4.com/foundation/
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