Tampa Bay Lightning Claims 2020 Stanley Cup

TAMPA, FL — The Tampa Bay Lightning claimed the 2020 Stanley Cup Monday night with a 2-0 win over Dallas.

Tampa defeated the Stars 2-0 in game six of the series, which was played without any fans in attendance as the National Hockey League kept teams isolated to guard against the coronavirus pandemic.

Victor Hedman won the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP. He picked up an assist on the first goal to notch 22 points this season. His 10 goals rank third best all-time among defensemen in a playoff year, USA Today reports.

“It takes a lot to be in a bubble for 80 days or whatever long it was,” Hedman said, the Associated Press reported. “But it’s all worth it now, we’re coming home with the Cup.”

It was a sweet triumph for the Lightning after they lost in the first-round of the NHL playoffs in April 2019 after a 62-win season.

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman presented the famed cup to the Lightning at Rogers Place in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.

Players spent the last two months away from their families, with games played in empty arenas in the Canadian cities of Edmonton and Toronto to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

This is the second Stanley Cup for the Lightning, which first won a championship in 2004, the Canadian Press reported.