The Tampa Bay Lightning had a productive pre-Christmas week that started on Monday, Dec. 15 against their in-state rivals, the Florida Panthers. But all the positive stuff wasn’t related to the contest itself.
NHL Stadium Series Shopping
A week earlier, the NHL and Fanatics revealed uniforms for the upcoming 2026 Navy Federal Credit Union NHL Stadium Series between the Lightning and the Bruins. The Bolts’ jersey design spotlights the team colors in royal blue, sky blue, and white with pirate-inspired patches. The hockey fans were excited, but they had to wait. The Tampa Bay Sports retail store at the Benchmark International Arena was closed from Dec. 11 to Dec. 14. Then, on Dec.15, before the matchup against the Panthers, the new Stadium Series collection became available online, at an in-arena store in Tampa, and in a flagship store in New York City. It was inspiring to see many fans wearing new jerseys, headwear, and fan chains hours after the store opening. All retail kiosks inside the arena were packed. It really showed that locals care about hockey, their team, and the unique event taking place on Feb. 1.
The Lightning have a loyal fanbase that supports the club even after tough losses. One fan explained that paying $279.00 for a new #88 Vasilevskiy jersey was expensive, but he buys one once a year. So, it doesn’t break his budget.
Milestone Updates
On Dec. 18, the Lightning fell 2-1 to the Los Angeles Kings. It was their third straight misfortune, which pushed the team to eighth place in the East and fourth in the Atlantic Division. Before a short Christmas break, the Bolts recorded two wins by scoring 10 goals and allowing five. A glimpse of improvement moved the team up to sixth place in the Eastern Conference.
- Nick Paul played his 500th NHL game against the Panthers on Dec.15
- Jake Guentzel scored his 600th NHL point against the Montreal Canadians on Dec.9
- Oliver Bjorkstrand collected his 400th NHL point against the St.Louis Blues on Dec.22
- Andrei Vasilevskiy was back in his office against the LA Kings after missing seven games
- Nikita Kucherov (42 points in 30 games) missed a matchup against the LA Kings due to sickness
- Ryan McDonagh played his first game since Nov.8 against the Kings on Dec. 12
All NHL teams enjoyed a few days off spending Christmas with their families before going back to action on Dec. 27. Florida in-state rivals will have to face each other for the third time this season.