The Tampa Bay Lightning stormed through the 2018-2019 season with historically great results—a fact that made their loss in the first round of the playoffs that much more devastating to fans and players alike. While it may have been tempting to remove the loss from our collective minds, we were more interested in giving Tampa and its team the catharsis they needed after an unprecedented let-down.

So we kicked off the season with a dramatic sixty second TV spot starring Lightning captain Steven Stamkos acknowledging the disappointment of the past and inviting fans to join him for another run at the Stanley Cup. His final statement—“We’re ready to play, if you’re ready to thunder”—carried through all of the season’s creative. It showed the importance of the bond between thunder and Lightning, city and team.