It took a long time for the marks on the wall to grow to the size of a man. And it took even longer for the hockey world to seem to notice.
Today, the growth chart is complete.
And Teddy Purcell seems larger than Tampa Bay itself.
The classic late bloomer has finally caught the attention of the National Hockey League, and even fans in Tampa Bay, with a burst of scoring in the Eastern Conference final.
Entering Friday nights Game 7 of the Eastern Conference final in Boston, Purcell had five goals in six games against the Bruins, but that doesnt come close to telling the story of his impact.
It was Purcell who rescued the Lightning at home in Game 4 when he cut a 3-0 Lightning deficit to 3-2 with a pair of goals only 63 seconds apart.
With the Lightning facing elimination in Game 6 on Wednesday night, Purcell showed up again with two goals, including the go-ahead score in the second period.
Hes progressed so much, Lightning head coach Guy Boucher said earlier in the series. So proud of him.
The road has not been a typical one for Purcell, 25. He is the same age as Bostons Patrice Bergeron, but has about 100 fewer NHL goals. He attracted almost no attention in high school and very little when he moved to Iowa to play in the United States Hockey League.
To hear Purcell tell it, the problem wasnt just that he wasnt big enough. He also wasnt quick enough. And wasnt tough enough, either.
He spent three years playing in junior leagues in the U.S. before a scholarship offer came along from the University of Maine. And so he showed up as a 21-year-old freshman, still chasing a dream few people seemed to acknowledge was realistic.
A dozen or so games later, that all changed.
Purcell exploded as a scorer at Maine, and virtually every team in the NHL had interest in signing him because he was a free agent as an undrafted player.
 Purcell (JTC2004).jpg)
He eventually chose the Los Angeles Kings, figuring it was the quickest path up the depth chart. He was right about that part, but his quick ascension through the minor league system probably didnt do his growth much good.
Purcell had eight goals in 91 games during parts of three seasons in Los Angeles, and the Kings eventually lost patience with him.
Even in Tampa Bay, it took Purcell time to understand the rigors of the NHL. He was up and down for much of this season before finally graduating to play on Tampa Bays top two lines.
He started the year as a guy with great vision, great skills, but his intensity level wasnt at all where it is right now, Boucher said earlier in the postseason. His confidence and speed wasnt where it is right now. His involvement physically wasnt where it is right now. His confidence to play with first-and second-liners wasnt there either, and his consistency wasnt there.
There are a lot of things that have changed over the span of this year. He worked really hard. Hes one of those guys that did a lot of one-on-ones with some of the coaching staff and kept at it. We always knew he had it. It was just if he was going to bring it consistently.
Purcell has done that in the postseason. Going into Friday, he had 17 points in 17 playoff games, and the Lightning were 4-0 in games in which he has scored.
There has never been much reason to recall former GM Brian Lawton with anything but dread. His time in Tampa Bay was mostly chaotic and almost entirely depressing.
For once, however, he is owed a bit of thanks.
The trade for Purcell looks brilliant today.
Lawton dealt veteran Jeff Halpern to the Kings for Purcell and a third-round pick. The pick was used to select Brock Beukeboom, and Steve Yzerman would later deal him and a third-round pick to bring Eric Brewer to Tampa.
So to recap, the Lightning got Purcell and Brewer for Halpern and a third-rounder. Halpern, by the way, never scored a goal for the Kings before leaving as a free agent.
That trade, like Purcell, is growing larger every day.