PALM HARBOR — Ryan Vogel had never even been to a hockey game until he moved to the Tampa Bay area in 2015, and now he never even misses a Lightning home game; in fact, he even goes to some of the away games.
Growing up in New York, Ryan Vogel was surrounded by sports his whole life, but he didn’t realize the connection a team can have on a community until he became a Lightning fan.
“Growing up as a New York Knicks fan and as a New York Mets fan, they never came around our community; they were never as present as the Lightning,” said Vogel. “They love their fans more than any organization I have ever been witnessed to in my life.”
Ryan says the memorabilia and memories he’s collected over the years are like little milestones. Ryan has been living with Leukemia for the past 10 years.
“I truly believe that the best way to battle most chronic illnesses like cancer is to have a positive outlook and to put your energy in a positive place,” said Vogel.
Ryan decided to put his energy into the Tampa Bay Lightning, and so far, it’s been a winning prescription.
“Just something to depend on, something that gives you hope, and I don’t know how else to say it, but never underestimate hope and the Lightning are a true testament to that,” said Vogel.
He attends every home game with his friends in section 303. Every season, he also chooses a few away games to follow the team. He says over the years, the players have made him feel like one of the guys.
“I’ve gone to Nashville and I’ve seen them out in public, ‘Patty Maroon, thank you so much for buying me that beer in Nashville,” said Vogel.
Ryan has even created one-of-a-kind jerseys with nicknames he’s personally given to his favorite players, like “Bagel “ for Brandon Hagel and “Snake” for Jake Guentzel.
“I like to call him Jake the Snake. Also, I notice he plays in the crease of the net, it doesn’t always look good but sometimes snakes don’t look good,” said Vogel.
This season, Ryan opened a Lighting fan cave in his home, which is another story of perseverance. Some of the items you find hanging on the walls were rescued from his restaurant, which was severely damaged and has yet to reopen following Hurricane Helene.
“It’s just like any hard time in your life, you fall back on the most positive influences you can, what was positive for me, staying focused and working hard, being there for my family, and the Tampa Bay Lightning,” said Vogel.
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