You're a wizard, Stammer.

A few weekends ago, a friend and I traveled up to Orlando to visit Universal Studios Islands of Adventure. The main reason for the visit was to head into the Wizarding World of Harry Potter and just have a great day reveling in our nerdiness.

While waiting in the line that winds through their replica of Hogwarts’ castle, we jokingly kidded each other about belonging to different “houses”.

As the wait continued, we clearly went mad and started deciding where the Sorting Hat would put members of the 2011-12 Tampa Bay Lightning.

For those who are unfamiliar with how it works, prepare for a brief geek lesson. Incoming students to the school of witchcraft and wizardry have an old hat placed on their heads. The hat places the student into one of four houses based on qualities they possess or desire to possess.

The four choices are: Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, and Slytherin.  Read on to find out where some of your favorites ended up.

Gryffindor: Members of this house often show bravery, nerve, chivalry, and courage. Those sound like great things, but sometimes their bravery can lead them to be reckless. They can also be seen as arrogant and as having no regard for rules.

Steven Stamkos is most definitely a Gryffindor. He IS our Harry Potter. The Boy Who Lived through OK Hockey. Marty St. Louis is another great example of a Gryffindor as he is arguably the toughest guy in the league by going out and battling men twice his size on a nightly basis. I would also through guys like Ryan Malone and Nate Thompson in there as well.

Ravenclaw: Ravenclaws are often hallmarked by their intelligence, wisdom, and wit. They are often the most cerebral of the Potterverse. Victor Hedman seems like he would fit well here. He has clearly worked incredibly hard on his game the last few seasons and is transforming into a very smart player in his position. He also seems a bit quiet but as if he has a wicked sense of humor about him.

Dominic Moore, Eric Brewer, and Marc-Andre Bergeron would also fit well in Ravenclaw.

Hufflepuff: Members of this house often seem to be the butt of the jokes in the Potter world. That doesn’t mean they’re bad people. In fact, they have some very admirable qualities. They are known to be friendly, loyal, and hardworking. If ever there was a member of this house on the Lightning roster it would have to be Teddy Purcell.

Forget the fact that he’s a Newfie and they’re the Hufflepuffs of Canada, he continues to work hard every game.  Matt Gilroy, Tom Pyatt, and Dana Tyrell might also be good in this house. Grinders never give up.

Slytherin: Known to be cunning, ambitious, and resourceful. They are often painted as the villains even though these qualities aren’t necessarily a bad thing. I freely admit that I put Bruno Gervais and Mathieu Garon in this house just because they LOOK like they should be here.

Steve Downie seems to be an obvious choice for Slytherin given his colorful history when it comes to disciplinary reasons. He does exhibit a lot of the characteristics, including self preservation. I think he gets a bit of a bad rap. I mean, Snape was a Slytherin and he ended up being a hero.

The Rest:

Not everyone was placed in a particular house. Dwayne Roloson was named as Professor Dumbledore based purely on his age. Steve Yzerman would be the Minister of Magic. Pavel Kubina totally goes to Durmstrang in Eastern Europe. Vinny Lecavalier attends Beaux Batons in France.

I know I missed a few guys here and there. Where do you think the rest of the team should go?