EXCLUSIVE: NHL star Steven Stamkos on Tampa Bay's current form and his future plans
His plans after the season once his contract expires
"To move elsewhere? I can't imagine that. I'd like to stay here and keep playing with this team. We'll see what happens in the summer, it's not in my power. I can only influence my performance on the ice and the management of this team. However, as far as this season is concerned, I have a condition in my contract that I have to agree to a trade, so I have control over any potential trade. My goal is to stay here."
His satisfaction with Tampa's performance this season
"I don't know if satisfied is the right word. We're where we want to be, which is in a position to make the playoffs. Our performance has improved recently, and I'm looking forward to the second half of the regular season, where the outcome of every game will matter. We still have a lot of work to do, but we are doing well, now we just have to keep it up..."
Dedicating a four-goal game to a late friend
"I grew up with him, he was very close to me. Even our families have the same relationship. The last year he was battling brain cancer, we knew he didn't have much time left. I looked up to him as a kid, he was a few years older, he played hockey too. I used to watch him at the rink... It was hard when it happened. And in that game, I really felt he was with me. To score four goals is special."
How the team missed injured goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy
"It wasn't easy without him. However, Jay Jay (Jonas Johansson) did a great job. And as for Vasi, it's not easy coming back from injury, sometimes it takes a while to get back into shape, which he has done in the last few games. He's been catching well. When he's healthy and showing what he can do, he's a huge difference-maker for our team. It's good to have him back."
Starting at the World Championship in Prague, where he made his NHL debut
"Hopefully I won't have time to go there because that would mean we're still in the playoffs, which is our goal every year. Plus, it would be a little more difficult because I'll be out of contract after the season..."
