Steven Stamkos scored his 500th regular-season NHL goal on Wednesday B次元官网网址� and then just kept scoring.

The Lightning captain included the major milestone in a hat trick as Tampa Bay downed the Canucks 5-2 in Vancouver.

B次元官网网址淭hatB次元官网网址檚 a game that youB次元官网网址檙e gonna remember for forever, so to do that and have that story to tell for years to come was pretty special,B次元官网网址� Stamkos said.

The 32-year-old centre took a slick pass from Alex Killorn and put a backdoor tap in past Vancouver Canucks goalie Spencer Martin to open the scoring 4:40 into the first period on Wednesday.

Players poured out of the Lightning bench and mobbed Stamkos in the corner as the crowd cheered.

B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 such a humbling experience when you have a moment like that and you get to celebrate it with your teammates, who are genuinely just as excited as you are. IB次元官网网址檓 so thankful for them,B次元官网网址� Stamkos said. B次元官网网址淥bviously this is an individual statistic, but it takes so many different players along the way that have helped me get to that.B次元官网网址�

A plethora of hats floated to the ice when Stamkos scored his third goal of the night B次元官网网址� and 21st of the season B次元官网网址� into the empty net with 1:22 left on the game clock.

After the game, he spoke in the locker room and thanked his teammates for their help and support.

That was the moment that made Tampa coach Jon Cooper the most proud.

B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檝e just watched that kid grow into a man, a phenomenal leader, and to be honest, heB次元官网网址檚 a generational goal scorer,B次元官网网址� Cooper said. B次元官网网址淭hatB次元官网网址檚 what he is and those guys donB次元官网网址檛 come around that often. Enjoy him while you can and IB次元官网网址檝e been extremely fortunate to enjoy him put that puck in the net hundreds of times. And itB次元官网网址檚 good for him, well deserved.B次元官网网址�

Stamkos is the 47th player in NHL history and the third active skater to score 500 goals, following WashingtonB次元官网网址檚 Alex Ovechkin and PittsburghB次元官网网址檚 Sidney Crosby.

Selected first overall by the Lightning in the 2008 draft, he has played all 15 seasons of his NHL career for Tampa Bay and amassed 1,024 points (502 goals, 522 assists) over 965 regular-season appearances.

The Markham, Ont., native won back-to-back Stanley Cups with the club in 2020 and 2021, and took the Maurice B次元官网网址淩ocketB次元官网网址� Richard Trophy as the leagueB次元官网网址檚 top goal scorer in 2010 and 2012.

B次元官网网址淗eB次元官网网址檚 first class, a first-ballot Hall of Famer, for sure. He scores goals,B次元官网网址� said Canucks defenceman Luke Schenn, who played two seasons with Stamkos in Tampa.

B次元官网网址淗eB次元官网网址檚 a pretty underrated playmaker, too. I think everyone looks out for his goal-scoring ability but heB次元官网网址檚 always over a point a game. And continually he gets better with age. HeB次元官网网址檚 been a great player there for a long time and a great leader. So heck of a career. HeB次元官网网址檚 a good buddy of mine and IB次元官网网址檓 happy for him.B次元官网网址�

B次元官网网址擥emma Karstens-Smith, The Canadian Press