The second week of Tampa Bay Lightning Training Camp was filled with news and events.
The team started with two road games, rotated its 63-man roster, and achieved two wins against the Carolina Hurricanes (2-1) and Nashville Predators (3-2 SO). It then sent 10 players to junior and minor leagues.
Ethan Czata, the 2025 second-round draft pick (56th overall), was one of the guys who enjoyed his time with the organization during the NHL Rookie Showcase and preseason for the first week. Still, it was time to go back to the OHL and help the Niagara IceDogs. No time was wasted. Upon his return to Ontario, Czata did a great job recoding 2+1 against the Saginaw Spirit and defeating them 5-4 in a shootout. As a bonus, the 18-year-old forward was named the OHL Player of the Week.
The only concern at this time is Andrei Vasilevskiy – his absence. The powerhouse goalie hasn’t attended the team’s on-ice practices since Sept. 19. Jon Cooper has tried to stop all speculations by assuring that the Big Cat is fine and will be back soon and ready to start against the Ottawa Senators on Oct. 9. Whether it’s maintenance days or undisclosed health issues, the Lightning can’t afford to ride into the Olympic season without their number one guy. Vasilevskiy has started in 530 NHL games with 331 wins. Last season, he posted a 38-20-5 record with six shutouts, a 2.18 GAA, and a .921 SV% in 63 regular season games.
On Friday, Sept. 26, the Lightning welcomed its fans for the match against the Carolina Hurricanes at Benchmark International Arena. It was the first home meeting of the preseason. Nikita Kucherov, Victor Hedman, Brayden Point, and Jake Guentzel were back on the ice in front of the Bolts crowd.
The Latvian-born Zemgus Girgensons scored two in the first period and had a few other opportunities, aiming for a hat-trick. Wojtek Stachowiak supported his efforts with two goals later in the evening. Maxim Groshev, who switched from offense to defense in the middle of the last season with the Syracuse Crunch, also added a tally, making it 4-1. The attendance was close to a full house, so the intensity from both sides matched. The Lightning won 6-5.
On Monday, the preseason roster was cut by 22 players. The remaining 32 guys will share ice time for the upcoming games against the neighboring Florida Panthers.
As FL Teams previously reported, the next Sunshine State battle will take place on Tuesday, Sept. 30 at the Kia Center in Orlando. The preseason will conclude with the same matchup on Oct. 2 in Tampa and Oct. 4 in Sunrise.