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Lecavalier Showing Stamkos The Ropes

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By ERIK ERLENDSSON

eerlendsson@tampatrib.com

Published: October 11, 2008

TAMPA - Steven Stamkos strides into the Lightning locker room, making sure to veer to the right to avoid the giant logo in the middle of the floor, and finds his locker stall.

It has been only three weeks, but the No. 1 overall pick looks like a perfect fit as he prepares to make his home debut tonight against Carolina.

"At first, when I came into town before training camp and the first couple of days, I thought it would be tough to adjust and get used to everything," Stamkos said. "Now, it's 100 percent, it all feels comfortable."

It certainly doesn't hurt that Stamkos has Vinny Lecavalier in the same locker room. Lecavalier lived through the experience of being the first overall pick in 1998 and jumping right into the NHL as a bright-eyed teenager.
Lecavalier remembers what it was like for him 10 years ago, when the weight of the franchise rested on his then-not-quite-broad shoulders as he came into a new situation. That's why the Tampa Bay captain went out of his way when Stamkos came to town to try to make the new kid not feel like a fish out of water.

"Well, I think the most important thing for me is that former Lightning defenseman Enrico Ciccone made me feel comfortable, he made me feel part of the team, and I think he was just awesome to me," Lecavalier said. "When you walk into the dressing room and you feel comfortable with the guys, you are ahead of the game, you feel confident and you bring that confidence out on the ice."

During pre-camp workouts, Lecavalier was out on the ice passing pucks back-and-forth with Stamkos. There were a few group dinners out on the town - on Lecavalier's bill, of course - and an afternoon on the golf course, where the two shared a cart.

It was an introduction that helped Stamkos make the transition from junior standout who was in charge of his locker room to young star entering an entirely new experience.

"He really took me under his wing when I first got here, just showing me the ropes and making me feel as comfortable as I could be," Stamkos said. "It's just great the way he acts on and off the ice."

Reporter Erik Erlendsson can be reached at (813) 259-7835.

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