CHICAGO — The Lightning’s second Hall of Fame class will honor two more integral members of the franchise’s first Stanley Cup championship squad.

Dave Andreychuk, who captained the Lightning’s 2004 Cup-winning team; and Brad Richards, who won the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP after Tampa Bay defeated Calgary in seven games to claim the franchise’s first championship; will be the organization’s two inductees this season.

They will join Marty St. Louis and Vinny Lecavalier, who along with founder Phil Esposito made up the Lightning’s first Hall of Fame class. St. Louis and Lecavalier, also members of the 2004 team, automatically earned induction after previously having their numbers retired.

Andreychuk and Richards will be honored on March 8-9. Final details are still being worked out, but plans are for an induction ceremony on March 8 and a ceremony on March 9 before the Lightning host Philadelphia. The Flyers are coached by John Tortorella, the Lightning’s head coach in 2004.

Andreychuk, who is still very active in the organization as the team’s vice president of corporate and community affairs and a color TV commentator, was the veteran voice a growing Lightning team needed to get over the hump to become champions.

Despite playing only his final four seasons with Tampa Bay, Andreychuk is tied for eighth on the franchise’s all-time list with 38 power-play goals, including 15 in the 2002-03 season. A Hockey Hall of Famer, he became a special figure in the Tampa Bay hockey community and remained in the area after retirement. A statue of Andreychuk hoisting the Stanley Cup welcomes fans to Thunder Alley outside Amalie Arena.

Richards, a home-grown Lightning player, won the Conn Smythe Trophy as the most valuable player of the 2004 postseason after leading the league in playoff scoring (26 points), including a then-playoff record seven game-winning playoff goals.

Richards also won the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy in 2004 as the league’s most gentlemanly player. He is on the Lightning’s all-time top-10 list in scoring (sixth, 489 points), goals (eighth, 150), assists (sixth, 339), power-play goals (sixth, 49) and games (10th, 552). His 68 assists in 2005-06 set a team record at the time.

Last season’s induction ceremony included an on-ice reception at Amalie Arena the night before the Lightning hosted the Canadiens, the team for whom St. Louis coaches and Lecavalier works in the front office. All three three inaugural members were presented with custom-made Lightning blue sports coats and awards made by local glass sculptor Marlene Ross. The Lightning’s new Hall of Fame area below the press box above the 300 level, was unveiled in a pregame ceremony the following night.

The night was a celebration of the franchise’s evolution over its relatively short 32-year history, from Esposito’s dedication to bringing an NHL franchise to Tampa and making it work, to the 2004 team that put hockey on the map, to the success the franchise has enjoyed recently with back-to-back Cups wins in 2020 and 2021 and three straight trips to the finals.

The Lightning Hall of Fame honorees are selected by an 11-member committee that includes front office personnel, staff and media members, as well as the addition of longtime video coach Nigel Kirwan representing the team. To be considered, players had to play at least three seasons or 200 games with the Lightning and be retired. Non-players had to have been with the organization for at least 10 years.

• • •

Sign up for the Sports Today newsletter to get daily updates on the Bucs, Rays, Lightning and college football across Florida.

Never miss out on the latest with your favorite Tampa Bay sports teams. Follow our coverage on Instagram, X and Facebook.