About a week after the Lightning hoisted the Stanley Cup in September, owner Jeff Vinik and his wife, Penny, went out on a date night in downtown Tampa.
The couple sat outside, in masks, in the courtyard at Armature Works near the waterfront and had some wine. It was over a glass of wine at a Christmas concert a dozen years ago when Vinik hatched the idea to buy a professional hockey team, so it’s no surprise a big decision was made on this night.
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They knew they wanted to discuss the championship ring and Penny took initiative by starting to sketch one out. She drew some pie-shaped sapphires in the background, with the Cup and a Lightning bolt on the front. They had no idea if it was doable, or how it would look in real life.
“It might have literally been on a napkin,” Vinik said.
They’d go over countless different alterations over video calls with a Jostens’ ringmaker in the next several months, but in the end, the championship ring Lightning players received Friday in the backyard of Vinik’s home was based around that original sketch. And it made history.
This was the most elaborate, expensive and unique championship ring the company has ever made, wowing players and staff alike in the blue, wooden display case that included a video message and highlights from the Cup run. The final totals? 557 diamonds, 81 custom-cut genuine blue sapphires, with a combined weight of 25 carats. Estimated retail cost per ring? $66,000.
“There’s no doubt the new standard in championship rings is the ring the Lightning made,” said Miran Armutlu, Jostens’ master jeweller who has made 103 championship rings since 1990. “There’s no doubt about it. Of all the years I’ve been making rings, and we had over 90 percent of the championship rings the last 10-12 years, I could easily say that no ring comes close in terms of complexity and stone counts and incorporating the mechanism (twisting Cup on top).
“It changed the landscape of the industry. It sets a bar so high that I’m wondering what we’re going to do next.”
Vinik said the ring design was a collaborative effort, spearheaded by his wife, but included input from not only their four children but players and coaches from the Lightning. The team, which had spent 65 days in the “bubble” in Toronto and Edmonton on their playoff run, going through COVID protocols and away from their families, may have faced the toughest road to win a Cup. And Vinik said they wanted to make this ring a fitting way to commemorate it.
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“The ring definitely tells the story of our season,” Vinik said.
Vinik said they looked at more than a dozen other championship rings from years past, including those from the recent Cup champs like the Blues and Capitals. This one, however, would be unique. The rotating Cup on the front is something you won’t see on many other rings, and when you swing it, the word “Stockholm” is revealed. That was a player suggestion, as it was during the team’s Global Series trip to Sweden in November where they came together on, and more importantly, off the ice.
“Gravy Train,” the Yung Gravy song that played in their dressing room after every win, also was put on the ring, as was 216:14, the total number of overtime minutes played by the Lightning in the playoffs, a record for a Cup champ. There’s the term “Distant Thunder,” a stick tap to their fans who supported them from afar.
“Our fans were such a big part of it,” Vinik said. “And we wanted them to be included.”
Armutlu, whose first ring was the CFL’s Saskatchewan Roughriders in 1990, said rings have become a lot more complicated and much heavier over the years. “It’s become more of a storytelling trophy,” he said. “Most guys say they want a ring that can be seen from 20 feet away.”
Armutlu said for a two-month stretch, he was in almost daily calls with the Viniks, who went over every detail. The time for production and design took longer than ever due to COVID, with some materials and such taking more time to get delivered. Jostens sent the Viniks nine different sample rings, which took a couple weeks each to make, before they settled on the finished product.
“Going from a napkin to a real ring takes some effort to get where we want at the end,” Armutlu said.
The wives/significant others each received a necklace/pendant, which was essentially the top of the Cup ring.
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“Our guys were gone for 65 days in the bubble and the wives/girlfriends were all alone with the kids,” Vinik said. “They probably deserved bigger pendants than the rings the guys got.”
Penny Vinik also wanted a nice presentation for the ring, which Jostens’ surprised her with. It was a wooden box, painted in Lightning blue, with a velvet interior. There was a key to open it, with a digital screen inside that showed a video of Vinik’s remarks, plus highlights from their Cup run.
“They went all out and in my mind, it’s the most comprehensive, elaborate and most expensive ring ever made,” Armutlu said. “We’re not going to just put them in a normal box.”
Nor was there a normal presentation.
The Lightning players and staff were invited to the backyard of Vinik’s home Friday night to receive their rings, with the Stanley Cup in attendance. They had no idea what was in store for them. The blue boxes were on circular tables, with only two people (usually player and partner) at the table. Vinik and his wife opened with a speech where the owner quipped that it would be “the worst party the Vinik’s would ever throw.” Due to COVID protocols, everyone was wearing masks and there was no dinner or drinks served, except water.
“No food, no beverage, no conversation,” Vinik quipped. “At least Lord Stanley was there.”
The Vinik’s spoke, then GM Julien BriseBois addressed the group, as well as captain Steven Stamkos. It was an emotional night, with plenty of laughs, and some tears, as you could see players smiling through their masks when they got their “first look.” Vinik said the keys to the boxes were hidden under the flowers at the table so they wouldn’t sneak a peek until they were given the green light. There will be around 300 rings distributed to Lightning staff, with the rings coming in different tiers, though Armutlu said people won’t notice a huge difference.
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“It was a very special moment for us,” said defenseman Victor Hedman, the Conn Smythe winner. “With the season going on, that was a good break for us to look back at what we accomplished six and a half months ago. To have the ring presented to us by our owner and their generosity, it’s out of this world. I’m super, super proud of what we did and it’s another sign of what we accomplished. It will stay with us forever.”
What struck Hedman and teammates the most about the ring was its size — and the personal touches.
“It was a magical night,” coach Jon Cooper said. “Anytime you go through that, it’s the memories that you re-live. That’s the best part. The ring exemplified everything that happened to us. The way it was presented, you couldn’t pick it apart. It was just perfect the way the whole thing went down.”
(Top photo: Scott Audette / Tampa Bay Lightning)
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