We can say we knew him when!

Congratulations to the Tampa Bay Lightning, who just won the Stanley Cup trophy, the National Hockey League (NHL)'s championship, and its biggest prize.

More importantly, congratulations to the man who sealed the deal. He's 24 and a former Cedar Rapids RoughRider who helped the Lightning clinch the win in Game 5. According to the RoughRiders website, Ross Colton is just the second rookie in the NHL's modern era to accomplish that feat. Also, get this: it was not just the game-winning goal, it was the only goal of the entire game.

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He's not the first former RoughRider to be part of a Stanley Cup-winning team, after Alec Martinez and Justin Abdelkader of the Los Angeles Kings in 2014, but his contribution certainly had a monumental effect on the outcome of his team's win over the Montreal Canadiens.

Colton had a pretty impressive season. He was part of 53 games, scoring 13 goals and 5 assists this season for the Lightning. He may not be from here, as a New Jersey native, but we're proud to call him one of our own, after the United States Hockey League (USHL)'s RoughRiders benefitted from his play in 113 career games here from 2014-16. He holds the single-season RoughRiders scoring record with 35 goals. He did attend and graduate from Cedar Rapids Washington high school during his time here, according to the Cedar Rapids Gazette.

It just keeps getting better as according to KCRG, Tampa Bay became the first back-to-back champion since Pittsburgh in the 2016 and 2017 seasons, and there were a lot more fans in attendance to see it the second time around, what with that pandemic creating all sorts of restrictions to be put in place last season. 18,110 fans altogether were there to catch the excitement on Wednesday night.

The Cedar Rapids RoughRiders themselves host their first home game of the season on October 16 against Des Moines at "The Stable", newly-renovated after the derecho caused serious damage and put their season on ice in its own right last year. Get their schedule here.

Think we'll be lucky enough to catch a glimpse of Ross and his trophy at the Stable this season?

LOOK: 50 images of winning moments from sports history

Sometimes images are the best way to honor the figures we've lost. When tragedy swiftly reminds us that sports are far from the most consequential thing in life, we can still look back on an athlete's winning moment that felt larger than life, remaining grateful for their sacrifice on the court and bringing joy to millions.

Read on to explore the full collection of 50 images Stacker compiled showcasing various iconic winning moments in sports history. Covering achievements from a multitude of sports, these images represent stunning personal achievements, team championships, and athletic perseverance.

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