Tampa Bay Lightning News, Trades & Rumors

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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 Mid-Season Report Cards: Second-Line Forwards
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The Tampa Bay Lightning are a few games behind the rest of the NHL, but it’s still time to grade every Lightning player’s performance through the first half of the season. Related: Kucherov’s Two-Goal Night Helps Lightning Top Penguins I’ve broken down the lineup, and this article will focus on all the second-line forwards. Earlier this month, I assigned grades to the defense core and first-line forwards. The “second line” was determined by receiving the most ice time together outside of Nikita Kucherov’s line. Brandon Hagel: A Brandon Hagel has shifted from one of the NHL’s best complementary scorers to one of its…

Projected Lineups for Bruins vs Lightning – 1/14/25
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The Boston Bruins take on the Tampa Bay Lightning tonight. Here are the projected/expected lineups sourced from NHL.com staff writers, independent correspondents, and others. LIGHTNING (23-15-3) at BRUINS (21-19-5) 7 p.m. ET; FDSNSUN, NESN, SN1, TVAS Lightning projected lineup Jake Guentzel — Brayden Point — Nikita KucherovBrandon Hagel — Anthony Cirelli — Nick PaulMitchell Chaffee — Zemgus Girgensons — Mikey EyssimontGage Goncalves — Luke Glendening — Cam Atkinson Victor Hedman — Darren RaddyshRyan McDonagh — Erik CernakEmil Lilleberg — Nick Perbix Andrei VasilevskiyJonas Johansson Scratched: Jack Finley, Cam Atkinson Injured: J.J. Moser (upper body) Status report Finley, a forward, was recalled from Syracuse of the…

Lightning Can Turn to AHL Syracuse for NHL-Experienced Help
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When an organization does not have the deepest prospect pool, it finds other ways to stockpile talent for its minor league affiliates. In July of 2024, the Tampa Bay Lightning signed a handful of players who had NHL experience but could not find a spot with another team for one reason or another. These players have been spending time with the Lightning’s American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Syracuse Crunch, and have been working toward the opportunity to get another chance to play regular minutes. Many of these players have been dealing with health issues that prevented them from getting…

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Projected Lineups for the Hurricanes vs Lightning – 1/7/25
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The Carolina Hurricanes take on the Tampa Bay Lightning tonight at the Amalie Arena. Here are the projected/expected lineups sourced from NHL.com staff writers, independent correspondents, and others. HURRICANES (24-14-2) at LIGHTNING (20-15-2) 7 p.m. ET; FDSNSO, FDSNSUN Hurricanes projected lineup Seth Jarvis — Sebastian Aho — Jack RoslovicAndrei Svechnikov — Jesperi Kotkaniemi…

Tampa Bay Lightning Jersey History
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The Tampa Bay Lightning are the envy of the National Hockey League. They’ve got a phenomenal owner in Jeff Vinik, who put the brakes on disaster and painstakingly rebuilt the organization from the inside out. A former investment wizard, Vinik managed to strike the optimal balance between the fanatical micromanagement…

 

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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.