Tavares, Stamkos reunite for classic goal at All-Star Game

SAN JOSE -- Childhood linemates John Tavares and Steven Stamkos were reunited at the 2019 Honda NHL All-Star Game at SAP Center on Saturday.

Tavares, a forward with the Toronto Maple Leafs, had a goal and an assist, and Stamkos, the captain of the Tampa Bay Lightning, had a goal for the Atlantic Division in a
7-4 loss
to the Metropolitan Division.
In the process, they showed the type of on-ice familiarity that they developed 16 years earlier as a member of the Toronto Blues summer league team coached by Steven's father Chris.
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"It was fun," Stamkos said. "It was a long time ago that we played for that team, and to think we now get a chance to play together at an All-Star Game after all that time, that's cool.
"We were joking that we still have some of the on-ice chemistry that we had years ago."
The spectacular goal they combined to produce at 3:13 of the first period was no joke.
Tavares was being double-teamed when he backhanded a seeing-eye pass to Stamkos, who was standing alone in the slot. Stamkos quickly put the puck between his own legs when goalie Henrik Lundqvist tried to poke check him, then slid the puck into the net.

"Pretty nice move by him," Tavares said. "He said he blacked out.
"If you are out there in 3-on-3 and you have two guys on you, you know there is a lot of space out there somewhere. Just kind of through it in front there and he really made the play happen."
Tavares said he was thrilled to be able to play with someone who he'd been teammates with in their early teens.
"You grow up and you meet your dreams to play in the NHL," he said. "But then to play together in an event where it's the best of the best and you both are recognized among some of the world's best players, it's pretty cool to see where your paths have taken you and that you meet at an event like this.
"We definitely enjoyed and appreciate it."
Stamkos was quick to point out that both he and Tavares were wearing No. 91.
"It's his fault that I wear that number, so I wasn't about to change it today just because he was wearing it too," Stamkos said, breaking into laughter. "It goes back to that Toronto Blues team.
"John and I both wore 19 growing up. You'd think the coach's son would have first pick picking the number, but I was wrong. He let John pick the number first and he took 19, so it was John's fault I switched to 91.
"That was the first time I wore 91. My dad said: 'We really want to get John on the team, we'll give him whatever number he wants.' And then John switched to it later when one of the guys on another team he was on had 19."

The Blues went 49-0-1 in two years. Their only loss came when Tavares missed a shootout opportunity.
"We had a Hockey Night in Canada interview the other day and it came up," Stamkos said. "It was his fault. I keep reminding him of that."