A champion at last: it took Dave Andreychuk 22 seasons, but Lightning captain's name will finally be etched onto the Cup.(The 2004 Stanley Cup Playoffs)(Cover Story)

Publication: Hockey Digest

Publication Date: 01-SEP-04

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COPYRIGHT 2004 Century Publishing

GARY BETTMAN STOOD AT THE microphone at the St. Pete Times Forum, saying the words Dave Andreychuk had waited 1,759 games and 22 years to hear:

"Dave Andreychuk, come on down."

The Tampa Bay captain eased his way across the ice. He took the Stanley Cup from Bettman after the Lightning's 2-1 victory against Calgary in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup finals, thus ending a quest that has seen him score 634 regular-season goals and 1,320 points--but never get as far as the Cup Finals.

No one had taken the ice more limes without winning a Cup than Andreychuk, who played 1,597 regular-season games and another 161 postseason contests before the night of June 7.

"It was a moment that has gone through my head lots of times," he says of the thrill of winning the Cup after so...

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