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The Tampa Bay Lightning were founded in 1992 by a group led by NHL legend Phil Esposito. The team’s first game was played on Oct. 7, 1992, versus the Chicago Blackhawks and resulted in a 7-4 victory. Throughout its history, the team has reached the playoffs 15 times and won three Stanley Cups—2004, 2020, and 2021. They have reached two additional Stanley Cup Finals, once in 2015 and again in 2022. They are one of the NHL’s most successful franchises the 2010s and 2020s.

Lightning News, Analysis & Commentary

Lightning Stock Up, Stock Down: Tomkins, Stamkos and Overtime

Welcome to this edition of the Tampa Bay Lightning’s Stock Up and Stock Down, a column detailing the highs and lows of the team’s performance. At the quarter mark of the season, the Tampa Bay Lightning are 9-6-5 and are sitting in third place in the Atlantic Division. This is not totally surprising, as many pundits felt that the Lightning would finish the 2023-24 season in that position. However, getting to that position has been quite a roller coaster ride. After going through a three-game losing streak at the beginning of November, they just finished a recent three-game homestand going…

Today in Hockey History: Nov. 23

A pair of Hockey Hall of Famers scored their 600th goals on this date in National Hockey League history. There were also countless memories for both teams in New York City, and the hockey world mourned the passing of one of the all-time great head coaches. So, let’s hop aboard the THW time machine to revisit all the best moments from Nov. 23. Getting No. 600 Two years and one day after Wayne Gretzky scored his 500th goal, the Great One hit his next huge milestone. On Nov. 23, 1998, Gretzky scored for the 600th time in his legendary career…

Lightning Show Resiliency in Recent Wins

After a rough patch that saw the Tampa Bay Lightning lose three straight games, with the latter two being shutouts, they have rallied and won three straight. Perhaps what is most impressive is that the Lightning were trailing at some point in each win, and in their game against the Boston Bruins, they were even behind with less than five seconds remaining. The last few weeks have felt like a roller coaster, and for a time, there were few positive remarks that could be made about the Lightning outside of the play of Nikita Kucherov. It feels like the tide…

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Lightning FAQ

What year were the Tampa Bay Lightning founded?

The Tampa Bay Lightning were founded in 1992 by a group led by NHL legend Phil Esposito.

When did the Tampa Bay Lightning play their first game?

The team’s first game was played on Oct. 7, 1992, versus the Chicago Blackhawks and resulted in a 7-4 victory.

Who is the current head coach of the Tampa Bay Lightning?

Jon Cooper is the current head coach for the Tampa Bay Lightning.