The Tampa Bay Lightning are set to return to Amalie Arena today for the first time since losing to the Pittsburgh Penguins in last year’s Eastern Conference Championship.
- Lightning open training camp today
- Key players/head coach away at World Cup of Hockey
- First pre-season game Aug. 27 vs. Carolina
- Tampa Bay Lightning
There are a number of notable names you won’t see however, due to the World Cup of Hockey currently underway in Toronto.
The Bolts will begin camp without head coach Jon Cooper, captain Steven Stamkos, and goalie Ben Bishop who are all serving their respective international teams.
Other players who are at the World Cup and won’t be in attendance today are Anton Stralman, Victor Hedman, Vladislav Namestnikov, Nikita Kucherov, Andrei Vasilevskiy, Nikita Nesterov, Ondrej Palat, Andrej Sustr, Valteri Filppula, and Jonathan Drouin.
The Lightning entered the offseason with many questions surrounding the roster, but General Manager Steve Yzerman answered a few of them by re-signing Steven Stamkos and Victor Hedman. Restriced free agent Nikita Kucherov still awaits a new contract but Yzerman has remained confident all offseason that a deal will get done.
Ryan Callahan is expected to join the team today as well and is reportedly ahead of schedule after undergoing hip surgery. It’s unknown if Callahan will be available for the season opener against Detroit. Callahan would have been in Toronto with the U.S. team for the World Cup, but his offseason surgery nixed those plans.
Bright House Sports Network’s Lindsay Liquori will have all of your Lightning updates today. Check back with BHSN.com for the latest.