The Tampa Bay Lightning will have reinforcements when the puck drops on Game 6 this Friday in Quebec.
The Lightning organization donated all-expenses-paid trips to Montreal to multiple full-time employees after winners were chosen from an office raffle. Instead of spending Friday at their desks in Tampa, employees will take to the skies—and eventually the Bell Centre—to cheer on their favorite team behind enemy lines.
The organization paid for the employees’ flights, hotel rooms and tickets to the game, and now the staff hope to pay it forward by sharing their support in person.
“I think that's a really cool experience,” Community Relations & Social Impact Coordinator Katie McMahon said. “I don't think many people's jobs, especially in sports, send you to the playoffs. I'm not in a travel position with my job, so I thought it was a really cool opportunity.”
McMahon just returned from a trip to Montreal visiting friends and got to experience the atmosphere outside the arena and downtown for Games 3 and 4.
Now, she’ll walk the halls and be in the mix inside the Bell Centre.
“I have heard nothing but good things about the Bell Centre. I know that's where our players like to skate, just with the atmosphere of the Habs fans, and I know just from talking to some people internally, there weren’t too many Lightning fans up there. I'm just excited to be able to support the guys.”
‘We’re going to hold down the fort'
Zack Lecorchick is also headed to the game thanks to the donation from Vinik Sports Group. Lecorchick has worked as an account executive on the membership sales and service team for almost a year after the Tampa native moved back home almost a year ago to take this job with the Lightning.
He recently started traveling more, and this was the perfect chance to do it again while supporting his favorite team.
“It was another chance to go do something really cool and with the team, so I figured I might as well sign up and see what happens,” Lecorchick said. “I’ve never been to Canada. I got pretty lucky and got pretty excited pretty quickly.”
McMahon said she’s ready to represent the Lightning at the game after enjoying the staff trip to Sunrise, Florida last year for a First Round game. Now that chance will take place in another country, but she’ll still be adorned in Bolts blue from head to toe.
“I hope we don't get chirped too much, if I'm being honest,” she said with a laugh. “The game last year we were getting chirped left and right but there were a lot of us there, so there was strength in numbers. But we’re going to hold down the fort for Bolts Nation.”
Lecorchick will be there in lockstep.
“I know I’ve got to represent us proudly,” he said. “I know we're going to be heavily outnumbered, but I can't let that stop me.”
Lecorchick is predicting a Lightning victory, and he’ll get to see it in person if it takes shape.
“Picking up the win,” Lecorchick said of what a perfect trip would entail. “It has to be. I mean, everything's gonna be great. I'm sure I'll do some exploring the other days and the times I'm not there, but what will make it perfect is picking up a nice win.”
Both employees are appreciative of the donation and subsequent opportunity, one they wouldn’t otherwise have.
“I think it's so awesome. They obviously take a lot of the financial stress away from it because I'd love to travel to as many games as possible, but it's not financially realistic for me,” McMahon said. “It definitely reassures me that I'm in the right place. I have a company and an organization that cares about not only the guys on the ice, but the people who are helping run the front office, so I feel extremely appreciative for the opportunity.”
Lecorchick seconded the notion.
“It just shows what pretty much everyone already knows is that Vinik Sports Group and the Lightning as a whole is just so well run,” he said. “That’s honestly what brought me here is knowing that I’d have a great team behind me, a great ownership group, great everything that just wants to do cool stuff for their employees and make us feel like we're at home. I think this just really shows what everybody already knows, which is that this is the top tier place to be. They go above and beyond.”
