ESPN analyst Kevin Weekes spent plenty of time in the Sunshine State during his NHL playing days, suiting up for both Florida teams at different points in his career, including 80 games with the Tampa Bay Lightning. Weekes was part of ESPN’s broadcast on Sunday as the NHL Stadium Series drew a sellout crowd of 64,617 at Raymond James Stadium.
Playing two outdoor NHL games in Florida within a month’s time would have been unthinkable 20 years ago, but the league’s success in the state over the past decade made it possible. Sunday’s game made history as the first NHL game to be played at a football stadium in Florida, and it had a little bit of everything — including a goalie fight between Andrei Vasilevskiy and Jeremy Swayman.
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“I’m just blown away. It’s so impressive to see how much the game has grown here,” said Weekes. “I know in Tampa, Mr. Vinik made a huge commitment to the Lightning, the community, first responders, the military, all the growth and expansion, and then that was married to the success on the ice.”
Over the past six seasons, the state’s two hockey teams have combined for four Stanley Cup wins, two of them coming from the Lightning in 2020 and 2021. Many of Weekes’ former teammates have stayed in the area after retiring, getting involved in youth hockey programs across Tampa Bay. Weekes said he still owns a home in Florida and spends time there, when he’s not in New York.
“Everyone used to mock us for playing here. Now, all of a sudden, I hear all these people … it’s the taxes, it’s the salary cap, it’s not fair. I’m like, ‘Where were you?’ Because I remember you.”
“Now, you’ve had these cup runs, all these deep playoff runs in the state, and they’re running for the hills, looking for excuses as to why,” Weekes said, smiling. “As opposed to really giving respect to the proper reasons as to why the success has been happening here.”
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Weekes, who lived on Harbour Island—a tiny neighborhood just across the water from the arena during his Lightning days—loved his time in Tampa Bay. Coming back for an outdoor game during Gasparilla was a true full-circle moment.
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“I loved my spot,” he said. “I loved the restaurants and the vibe here. Although I was born and raised in Toronto, my parents are Caribbean. They’re from Barbados, so playing in Florida felt, in a lot of ways, like being in the Caribbean, which was natural for me.”
“When you can play in the league in a tropical place, with fans who love the game even more, and the hockey keeps growing, and the teams are successful, going on cup runs and deep playoff runs, the quality of life is arguably second to none. Day to day, your body feels good after practice. There wasn’t anything I didn’t like all these years later.”
Weekes credits Jon Cooper, Lightning management, and ownership for much of the success Tampa has seen over the past decade.
“When players that have been traded elsewhere, move back, or spend part of their time here, that’s a really strong endorsement. That speaks to the ownership and how the players and the families are treated. When you’re respected, treated well, and you love the environment, it’s pretty tough to beat.”
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Weekes still remembers the days before Cooper was hired, when The Hockey News ran a feature highlighting his success at every level. Just days after Cooper accepted the Lightning’s head coaching job, the team was in Toronto, and Weekes asked NHL Network and NHL.com reporters if he could go down to interview him.
“When I did the interview, it was the day of the game, around three in the afternoon in the hotel lobby, and I was blown away,” said Weekes. “I was like, this guy checks all the boxes. Seeing the staff he’s assembled, the continuity, how they treat the staff, how the staff treats the players, how the ownership treats them, and what they’ve built down here, it’s just so impressive.”