Lisa as a young Lightning fan (Credit: X/p0ckethamster)
By Jake Ricker
With the Lightning having another extended break, it would be an excellent time for another edition of Meet Bolts Nation, where we explore all of the amazing fans around the world and their stories. If you want to be featured in one of our future installments of Meet Bolts Nation, tweet us @BoltReport_TB with your pitch and the #MeetBoltsNation. Today, we meet Lisa.
Becoming a Lightning Fan
Lisa was born in Tampa, but her family moved to Oklahoma just a few months after she was born. Despite being raised in Oklahoma, she has always been a Lightning fan. Her father had played in hockey leagues back in Tampa, so of course, hockey held a special place in their house. Lisa and her dad would always watch hockey games together since she was only a few years old.
One of her favorite memories was the first hockey game her father ever took her to. She says she still remembers feeling the chill from the ice for the very first time! Despite being just two years old, she still remembers the game. It was December of 2006 against the Atlanta Thrashers. The Lightning dominated the Thrashers in an 8-0 beatdown, with Vincent Lecavalier putting up a hat trick. Not a bad first game to experience.
Living away From Tampa, Lisa has not been able to attend many games, but each time she has gone, it's a special memory and something she can look forward to.
Lisa with some of her early NHL merch (Credit: X/p0ckethamster)
Favorite Player
Judging by her Twitter name and profile picture, it's no surprise who Lisa's favorite player is: Andrei Vasilevskiy! Though the Big Cat is currently on the mend, the superstar goaltender cornerstone piece of the Lightning franchise continues to be the favorite of many in Bolts Nation. But when asked about why Vasilevskiy was her favorite player, she had a very unique answer:
"Him and I have pretty similar interests, we like a lot of the same music and behave pretty similarly," Lisa said. "That and his incredible talent!"
Lightning Memorabilia
When it comes to memorabilia, Lisa tells me she has pieces that hold a very special place in her heart because of the memories they bring. Lisa's dad has framed photos of the Lightning's 2004 Stanley Cup win, photos that she's been able to look up at ever since she was small.
Her father also owned several old sweatshirts and jerseys from back in the day. She said she would always put those on after long days playing in the snow, sitting by the fireplace, and watching cartoons to stay warm. Those little pieces of memorabilia always remind her of her childhood and all the happy memories Lightning hockey brought her.
As an adult, she has started her own collection that she hopes will one day bring her kids the same memories it did for her. What kind of merchandise? Vasilevskiy merchandise, of course!
"I have… possibly TOO MUCH Vasilevskiy merchandise," Lisa said. "I can’t help it, he’s my favorite player!! I absolutely adore everything about him."
Online Community
One thing Lisa enjoys most about being a Lightning fan is that despite being in Oklahoma, the online community has made her feel at home. Lightning hockey has brought her so many wonderful friends, and interacting with the fanbase online is something she loves very much.
"Making silly videos, meeting new people, talking to friends for hours, going to games with my friends, there’s endless amounts of things that make me love being a Lightning fan," said Lisa.
She says there are an endless amounts of things that make her love being a Lightning fan. There is nothing she loves more than representing her team and her favorite player online, which she will be proud to do for years and years to come! If you want to follow Lisa, you can find her on Twitter @p0ckethamster.
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