Minneapolis, April 23, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Tampa Bay Lightning and Jostens, the industry leader and provider of custom, hand-crafted fine jewelry for professional sports teams, revealed the 2020 Stanley Cup Championship Ring Friday evening. Coaches, players and members of ownership were presented their rings in a private ceremony.
“The 2020 Stanley Cup Championship Ring honors the Lightning’s commitment to overcoming adversity and persevering against unprecedented circumstances,” said Chris Poitras VP and COO of Jostens Professional Sports Division. “Jostens is honored to present this ring that will change the landscape of championship rings and pays tribute to the historic season of the 2020 Tampa Bay Lightning.”
“Jostens has the incredible ability to create and execute a comprehensive championship program unlike any other company in the industry,” said Lightning CEO Steve Griggs. “We are proud to unveil our Stanley Cup Championship Ring today as a tribute to the sacrifices our team made during the 2020 playoffs. We are also very excited to have the opportunity to share and make this commemorative jewelry available to all of Bolts Nation.”
After an unforgettable and unprecedented season, playing the entirety of the playoffs in the isolation of hub-cities for 65 days and being separated from family, friends and fans by thousands of miles, the Tampa Bay Lightning persevered and overcame the most difficult of circumstances to be crowned the NHL’s 2020 Stanley Cup Champions. A truly remarkable achievement deserves to be celebrated by an equally spectacular ring. Crafted in 14-karat white gold, diamonds and genuine blue sapphires, the Lightning’s 2020 Stanley Cup Championship Ring celebrates that accomplishment in striking fashion.
The ring top features the iconic Lightning logo created from stunning genuine blue sapphires. The bolt of the logo features 12 custom-cut sapphires which are intricately hand-set with an additional 18 custom-cut sapphires completing the logo. There are 24 diamonds which brilliantly encircle the edge of the team’s logo. The Cup itself is crafted with 79 diamonds. As a showcase of innovative engineering, the Stanley Cup and logo lift-up from the face of the ring to reveal the word “STOCKHOLM”, symbolic of the city in Sweden where the Lightning participated in the NHL’s Global Series, a trip in which they not only won both games versus the Buffalo Sabres, but also where they found their team identity and turned their season around. The inside of the Stanley Cup also features two crossed hockey sticks with a singular black diamond between them, representing a hockey puck and the drop of one that begins every game. Encircling the Bolts logo and Cup are an additional 27 custom-cut blue sapphires, symbolic of the 27 seasons the Lightning organization has proudly been a part of the NHL leading up to their 2020 Stanley Cup victory.
An additional 146 pavé-set diamonds adorn the ring top and flow down the edges. Along both the top and bottom edges of the ring are 12 custom-cut sapphires set in a detailed wave pattern. These waves pay tribute to the home of the Lightning, Tampa Bay, which is known for its proximity to the beautiful waters of the Gulf of Mexico. Winning the Stanley Cup and achieving glory through determination and immeasurable hard work is represented on the left side of the ring featuring the words STANLEY CUP and the right side displaying CHAMPIONS. Both set with a contrasting background of Lightning blue.
The left side of the ring features the recipient’s name created from white gold and accented with the same Lightning blue in the background. Below their name, players will receive their number set in diamonds within a circle which has the details of a hockey net in the background.
The right side of the ring proudly displays the championship year date of 2020, which is separated by a banner featuring the motto “DISTANT THUNDER” which was adopted by the team to recognize their great fans during their 2020 playoff run. Below that is the full Lightning logo which features the name of the region that has been the team’s home since its founding in 1992, Tampa Bay.
In a true feat of engineering, the sides of the ring are adorned with stunning diamonds that cascade down from the top of the ring and wrap around the palm side which features the words “GRAVY TRAIN”, which was the team’s locker room victory song for the season. In total, there are an incredible 308 diamonds hand-set on the sides of the rings alone. This never-before done process creates a spectacular ring that shines with brilliance from every angle.
The interior of the ring features the Lightning logo in custom blue ceramic with the results of each of their 2020 playoff round victories to the right side. To the left of the logo is 216:14 which represents the total number of overtime minutes endured by the Lightning during the playoffs, the most of any NHL team in a single post-season. For perspective, that’s the equivalent of nearly four extra regulation games. The Bolts were also the first team in NHL history to reach the Stanley Cup Final after clinching their other three series via overtime wins.
As an added detail of personalization, individuals will receive their signature on the interior palm side.
The Lightning 2020 Stanley Cup Championship Ring boasts an incredible approximate 557 diamonds and 81 custom-cut genuine blue sapphires. The combined carat weight of those stones is a record-breaking 25.0 carats making the Tampa Bay Lightning 2020 Stanley Cup Championship Ring the largest ring by carats in Jostens history.
THE FAN COLLECTION
Jostens also partnered with the Tampa Bay Lightning in producing a Stanley Cup Championship jewelry collection allowing their entire fan community to celebrate the Stanley Cup victory. Lightning fans can capture their piece of the Stanley Cup and commemorate this exciting moment in franchise history through a selection of customized jewelry and championship collectables. All pieces in this collection are inspired by the Lightning official Championship Ring and are available starting on Saturday, April 24 at 10 a.m. for a limited time by ordering online at: www.jostens.com/lightning.
As a part of the exciting Stanley Cup celebration, the Tampa Bay Lightning have created a unique opportunity that extends the championship to the fan community. As a part of their program, a limited-edition ring is being made available and is designed to be as close to the ring awarded to the team that is made available for purchase to the public. In honor of the 2020 recipient of the Conn Smythe Award winner, Victor Hedman #77, only 77 rings will be made available for purchase. The Limited Edition Ring is also available online at: www.jostens.com/lightning.
In addition to crafting the Tampa Bay Lightning 2020 Stanley Cup Championship Ring, Jostens also created their 2004 Stanley Cup Championship Ring. Jostens also recently partnered with the Tampa Bay Rays to celebrate their 2020 American League Championship.
ABOUT JOSTENS
Jostens is a trusted partner in the academic and achievement channel, providing products, programs and services that help its customers celebrate moments that matter. The company's products include yearbooks, publications, jewelry and consumer goods that serve the K-12 educational, college and professional sports segments. Founded in 1897 and based in Minneapolis, Minn., Jostens is a subsidiary of Platinum Equity and can be found online at www.jostens.com.
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