The Steven Stamkos sweepstakes didnt even reach the official start of NHL free agency.The Tampa Bay Lightning?signed their star captain to an eight-year deal Wednesday, keeping him off the market two days before free agency begins.?I am excited to move forward with the Lightning today for the next eight years, Stamkos said in a statement. Its not often that a player gets the chance to spend his career in one organization and I am hopeful that this agreement sets me on that path with the Tampa Bay Lightning. Most importantly, I look forward to working with my teammates, coaches and our management in our pursuit of winning a Stanley Cup.An NHL source said the contract is worth an average of $8.5 million annually. Only $1 million per year of that, however, is in pure salary; the rest is payable in signing bonuses. The deal also includes a full no-movement clause for all eight seasons, a source said.?We were just in a little group chat with the boys, and were all just so excited, so happy that hes coming back, Lightning veteran Brian Boyle said. Obviously, its been probably a process for him, but it just shows you the character he has and the kind of guy he is and what he really wanted. We couldnt be more thrilled to have him back. Hes our captain, our leader.Stamkos has spent his entire eight-year career with the Lightning, who drafted him No. 1 overall in 2008. He has scored 312 goals in 569 games since beginning his career in 2008-09, second only to Alex Ovechkin (362) over that span. He has averaged 0.55 goals per game in his career.The Markham, Ontario, native is a four-time All-Star and has led the Lightning in goals in six of the past seven seasons, including two seasons of 50 or more goals: 51 in 2009-10 and 60 in 2011-12.?Stamkos was the rare franchise player set to hit free agency after contract talks with the Lightning extended into this weeks interview window, and the interest in him was intense. The Toronto Maple Leafs, Detroit Red Wings, Buffalo Sabres, Boston Bruins, Vancouver Canucks and Montreal Canadiens were all expected to be in on Stamkos when he hit free agency Friday, but his desire to win a Stanley Cup with the team that drafted him won out.We are very appreciative of the effort and commitment that Steven and his representatives have exhibited in getting a deal done, GM Steve Yzerman said. We are excited to have him as a cornerstone part of the team for the next eight years as we continue in the franchises ultimate goal of winning another Stanley Cup.The Lightning advanced to the Stanley Cup finals in 2015. This spring, with Stamkos out recovering from a blood clot, they reached the Eastern Conference finals, falling to the?Pittsburgh Penguins?in seven games. Of all his?suitors, Tampa Bay was probably the closest to being a legitimate Stanley Cup contender in the short term.He has an opportunity, a rare opportunity, to go into free agency at such a young age, and obviously, he had a lot of suitors, a lot of dollar signs pointing at him, but what he wants to do is he wants to win, Boyle said. He takes being a captain very seriously, and he wants to win. He showed it in Game 7 against the Penguins, coming back and playing. He showed what a captain, a leader, a guy of high character should do. If hes leading the way, you better fall in line because thats the way things are going to go. Its a great strength of our team, and it goes to show you how strong of a character guy he is, and he makes everybody else better for it.?Stamkos was the focus for Yzerman,?but Yzermans work is just starting. The Lightning still need to sign restricted free agent Nikita Kucherov, who had a breakout postseason during Stamkos absence.There is also speculation that the Lightning might need to trade a goalie, with Bishop the most likely candidate.On Friday, the Lightning also can sign franchise defenseman Victor Hedman to a contract extension.It makes for a busy offseason for Yzerman, but the most challenging deal is done.Information from ESPNs Joe McDonald and Pierre LeBrun was used in this report. Stitched Jerseys South Africa . Only three players drafted by NHL clubs were included on the Czech selection camp roster on Wednesday. Those players were Dallas Stars 2012 first-rounder Radek Faksa, Winnipeg Jets 2013 fourth-rounder Jan Kostalek and Phoenix Coyotes 2012 seventh-rounder Marek Langhamer. Clearance Jerseys South Africa .5 million, one-year contract on Friday. Hawkins, who turns 41 in December, will compete with Rex Brothers for the closers role at spring training. http://www.cheapjerseyssouthafrica.com/ . Thats not a comment on the suspension that banished the Portland Winterhawks general manager and coach from his Western Hockey League teams bench for most of the 2012-13 season. Wholesale NFL Jerseys South Africa . -- The Portland Timbers and Real Salt Lake played to a 0-0 tie Saturday night that left the top of the Western Conference standings unchanged. Authentic Jerseys South Africa . -- Charline Labonte couldnt have asked for a better homecoming.ROGERS, Ark. -- Stacy Lewis has made no secret about her desire to earn a championship in front of her adopted hometown fans. The worlds No. 2 golfer has also been open about how that internal pressure has caused her to struggle in recent years at the LPGA NW Arkansas Championship. Lewis put all distractions aside on Saturday, shooting a 6-under 65 to join a group of four players atop the leaderboard at 10 under overall after the second round of the tournament at Pinnacle Country Club. The round was a welcomed bit of excitement for a surging and vocal gallery that followed Lewis every shot. It was especially gratifying for the former world No. 1, who played collegiately at nearby Arkansas -- and who has struggled to contend in recent years at the tournament. Lewis earned an unofficial win at the rain-shortened event as an amateur in 2007. Since then, however, the former Rookie of the Year and last years Player of the Year entered this week having finished in an average of 23rd place in front of her many fans -- including a 49th-place finish last year. Back-to-back wins earlier this year briefly vaulted Lewis into the top spot in the world rankings, a position she said prepared her for the hectic schedule she faces this week. "Its everything I deal with this year with the week that I became No. 1 in the world. It was just chaos," Lewis said. "Dealing with that pressure of being No. 1 in the world, I learned a lot from that. "I honestly think thats why Ive come here this week and it doesnt seem so busy anymore, doesnt seem too hard to play with all the fans." Chie Arimura and Beatriz Recari both equaled Lewis 65 on Saturday and are tied entering the final round with So Yeon Ryu. I.K. Kim and defending champion Ai Miyazato tied for the lowest round of the day, each shooting a 7-under 64. First-round leader Mika Miyazato shot a 70 and is three shots back, while top-ranked Inbee Park leads a group of three players two shots back at 8 under. They will all be chasing Lewis on Sunday, at least in terms of the attention from the galleries to begin with. She will be paired with Recari in the final grouping of the day, and she is well aware of the excitement she will feel. "I think the harder part is Im going to want it so bad, and I know the fans are going to want me to get it really bad," Lewis said. "So, its going to be hard. The hardest part is going to be staying patient and not trying to force putts and running them four feet by (the hole)." Sara-Maude Juneau of Fossambault, Que., shot a 67, and moved to 4-under 138 for the tournament. Maude-Aimee LeBlanc oof Sherbrooke, Que.dddddddddddd, had a 72, and is at 141. Stephanie Sherlock of Barrie, Ont., missed the cut, with a 72 leaving her at 143. Rebecca Lee-Bentham of Toronto shot a 71, to finish at 144. Charlottetowns Lorie Kane was nowhere near matching her opening round 69, ballooning to a 76, for a 145 total. Lewis was as low as 11 under after 17 holes on Saturday, thanks in large part to needing only 27 putts for her round -- a number that included several near misses and a three-putt on her final hole. The 28-year-old Lewis, who played during the morning, thrilled her pro-Arkansas gallery with four straight birdies on her first nine holes. After starting on the back nine, she birdied holes 14-17 to reach 8 under before the par-5 18th took its toll. Lewis approach on her third shot came up just short and rolled to the bottom of the hill in front of the green. Her following chip did the same. Fortunately for Lewis, she managed to save bogey with an up-and-down -- thanks to her fifth straight one-putt. She then reached 11 under after four more birdies later in her round before bogeying her final hole of the day. Lewis will have plenty of challengers Sunday on a leaderboard that features seven players within two shots of the lead, including Park -- with two major wins this year. Arimura, the rookie from China, also needed only 27 putts on Saturday in shooting a bogey-free 65. She tied for the lead with birdies on her final two holes. Ryu birdied the par-5 7th hole -- her 16th hole of the round -- to reach 10 under in the final tournament before next weeks U.S. Open. Recari also posted a bogey-free round, birdieing four of her first seven holes before making the last of her six birdies on the par-5 14th. The Spanish golfer already has one win this year, the Kia Classic in March. "I think overall Im pretty happy and proud of how I handled myself the last two days," Recari said. "I have a very clear idea of what I have to do mentally, so I feel very confident and very good for my last round." Kim, Pornanong Phatlum and Ji Young Oh are each at 8 under along with Park, while amateur Lydia Ko and Miyazato are at 7 under. Juli Inkster followed an opening 71 with a 6-under 65 on Saturday. Lewis, meanwhile, said she planned to play a round of golf with her nephew on Saturday afternoon before relaxing for the rest of the day in anticipation of what she hopes is a hometown celebration on Sunday. "Im definitely going to use the crowd some, but then I need to also just kind of scale it back and just stay in what I am doing right now because its working," Lewis said. China NFL Jerseys Cheap Nike NFL Jerseys NFL Jerseys Cheap Wholesale NFL Jerseys Cheap Basketball Jerseys Online Stitched Hockey Jerseys Wholesale Baseball Jerseys Football Jerseys Outlet College Jerseys For Sale Cheap MLB Jerseys Wholesale Soccer Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys For Sale Wholesale NFL Jerseys ' ' '