The Ice Man cometh. Not with his usual burst of speed, or trademark ice shower erupting from his razor-sharp skates. Right
now, 26-year-old National Hockey League (NHL) superstar Vinny Lecavalier is creeping along, white knuckles and all, his
nerves frazzled and his icy composure in tatters.
“This isnʼt easy, you know. I donʼt want to make a mistake. Not here,” says the normally lightning-fast center and faceoff
expert for the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Not even learning to skate at age 2, or playing your first hockey game at age 4, prepares you for the challenge of maneuvering a
400-horsepower Ferrari 360 Spider supercar to center ice.
Celebrity Car had asked to photograph Lecavalier in his natural habitat: the St. Pete Times Forum ice rink in downtown Tampa,
Fla., home to the Lightning. And of course we wanted his cars to be there too.
It was only when he emerged from the locker room after a morning practice to find his blood-red Ferrari and big-wheeled Hummer
H2, his two main vehicles at the time, parked at the edge of the rink did he realize we were serious.
So he threads his 6ʼ 4” frame behind the wheel, fires up the 3.6-liter V8, and with the skill and dexterity of a Zamboni driver,
gently eases the Ferrari across the ice.
“It would be fun to do a few doughnuts. At least a few wheelspins. But I know it would end in tears,” says the soft-spoken
Canadian.
It was Vinnyʼs first Ferrari. Arriving in Tampa in 1998 as a fresh-faced rookie with a bulging bank balance, he treated himself
to a string of performance cars. There was a BMW M3, followed by a brace of Porsches. First was a 911 Carrera Cabriolet, then a
thundering 2002 911 Turbo Coupe.
“Owning a Ferrari has always been a dream. I always thought it was the ultimate car for me. And the 360 Modena was the
ultimate Ferrari. I just love the sound it makes; I love the way it handles; the way it looks.”
Lecavalier planned to buy a Modena coupe, but saw the bright red Spider convertible and just had to have it.
“I just love listening to the motor. Every time I switch gears, I let the engine run just to hear it. Up at around 8,000 r.p.m. is when
it sounds great. Iʼve even had the Ferrari dealer put a special exhaust on it so that it sounds even louder.”
Lecavalier bought the all-black Hummer H2 because he felt it was the exact opposite to the Ferrari. At the time, he test-drove a
new Range Rover, checked out a Cadillac Escalade, but fell in love with the tough-truck looks of the brick-edged Hummer.
“It makes you feel like youʼre the king of the road. Though some times it does feel a little too big. Trying to squeeze the Hummer
through some of the narrow roads in Old Montreal was a major challenge.”
The H2 is fairly stock apart from a set of 22-inch chrome wheels and the optional chrome package supplied by Hummer. At the[/si
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Great taste - 
