As Tampa Bay Lightning fans wake to a brand new day, we take a closer look at some of the top Lightning headlines and other news from around the National Hockey League.
The sun is shining bright outside, which must mean we are about to embark on another fantastic day here in the Bolts Nation. Right now, the only thing that could make things better would be for the Tampa Bay Lightning to be officially kicking off their 2016-17 season.
Unfortunately for Lightning fans, the showdown with the Detroit Red Wings is going to have to wait just a little bit longer. For those of you here in the Bolts Nation who are like us and have been counting the days until the first official puck drop of the 2016-17 season, we are now just 59 days away from the start of the season.
That’s right ladies and gentlemen, the two-month mark has finally been breached. Before fans know it, they will be putting on their favorite player’s jersey, painting their faces, and flooding into the Amalie Arena in order to bring the Thunder for our Boys In Blue and help lead them on their way to victory.
Tampa Bay Lightning
While most things here in the Bolts Nation have been sunshine and slapshots, there is still a little bit of darkness looming off in the distance. The Tampa Bay Lightning have still not come to an agreement with the Lightning’s leading goal scorer in the 2015-16 season, Nikita Kucherov.
Now, before anyone gets into a panic, there is still plenty of time for Tampa Bay Lightning Vice President and General Manager Steve Yzerman to get the job done. Think of things from another perspective for a moment. How long did it take for Yzerman to re-sign Steven Stamkos?
Everyone thought for sure we had seen the young Lightning captain on the ice for the final time in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Final when the Tampa Bay Lightning fell to the Pittsburgh Penguins and ended their Stanley Cup dreams. Sometimes, the fact of the matter is that these things take time.
In the meantime, let’s take a look at some of the top Tampa Bay Lightning headlines making their way around the Bolts Nation as well as some of the biggest news from around the National Hockey League.
We have been mentioning this for a couple of days now, but the moment is finally upon us. Later today, the Tampa Bay Lightning, along with the Amalie Arena, will be hosting a part-time job fair. There are all kinds of positions open for people of all different skill levels and skill sets.
The fair will start at 3:00 p.m. and continue on until 6:00 p.m. on the Promenade Level of the Amalie Arena. Before you make your way to the arena, there are some things you should know. Getting ready to head over there? Take a look at the Tampa Bay Lightning’s website for all the information you’ll need. (Tampa Bay Lightning)
As many of you may know by now, the Tampa Bay Lightning have been hosting a competition called Best of the Bolts where fans have an opportunity to vote for their favorite moments of the 2015-16 season. Today starts a whole new round of voting.
There are definitely plenty of exciting moments to choose from in today’s new round. One of the moments you can place your vote for is one of our Top 3 moments of the season. This would be where Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman went above and beyond the call of duty and served as backup goaltender for Ben Bishop.
Just in case you missed the moment, here’s another look for you:
Head on over to the Tampa Bay Lightning’s official site if you want to cast your vote for this or any of the other fantastic Tampa Bay Lightning moments from the 2015-16 season. Don’t wait too long, though. You only have until August 17th to make your selections in this round. (Tampa Bay Lightning)
As we have said many times before, one of the most important aspects of the game for players on the ice is to know how their opponents are going to respond to certain situations, their weaknesses, and what needs to be done in order to emerge victoriously.
Something like this can be awfully time consuming; especially when the two teams meeting in the center of the ice have a rather long history with one another. Bolts By The Bay Staff Writer William Clewis has taken the time to take a closer look at the Tampa Bay Lightning’s Atlantic Division rival, the Boston Bruins. (Bolts By The Bay)
Over the course of the last couple of seasons, the Tampa Bay Lightning have seen a mass influx in ticket sales. To be honest, the jump actually started after the 2010-11 season when the Lightning found themselves just one game shy of playing for the Stanley Cup, but the growth in the last few years has been impressive.
After selling out night after night for the last couple of seasons, the Tampa Bay Lightning found themselves in a rather awkward position. The organization is almost selling too many season tickets. Who would’ve ever thought this would be an issue? Now, it seems as if the Lightning have slightly shifted their focus to concentrate on a new demographic. (Tampa Bay Business Journal)
News From Around the National Hockey League
When any team in the National Hockey League wins the Stanley Cup, each member of the team has the opportunity to spend the day with the Cup in their hometown and do whatever they so wish (within limits) with the Cup.
As just about everyone here in the Bolts Nation is painfully aware of, this season that team would be the Pittsburgh Penguins. Throughout the Cup’s travels, there is one Penguins player who has decided to use their powers for good and really affect change. (NHL.com)
Whenever there is a hot ticket player about to make their way into the Free Agent market, the one thing that seems to spread like wildfire is rumors. Unfortunately, there are times when these rumors are nothing more than that…rumors.
Right now, one of the hottest commodities in the National Hockey League right now is the impending Free Agent status of Harvard Crimson star Jimmy Vesey. Unfortunately, Vesey’s agent has dispelled quite a few of these rumors. What does this mean for the future of the bright, young star? (Puck Daddy)
This year is going to be an interesting one for hockey fans all around the world. Fans are going to get more than a fair share of on-ice action before the first official puck ever drops in the 2016-17 season. This is all thanks to the 2016 World Cup of Hockey.
There are many players making their way to the Air Canada Centre, home of the Toronto Maple Leafs, to take part in the action. One of those players is Detroit Red Wings captain Henrik Zetterberg. According to ESPN, Team Sweden has tapped Zetterberg to serve as their captain for the international tournament. (ESPN)
In the National Hockey League, one of the things you can expect in the off-season is change. There will always been players leaving your favorite team to find a new home for the upcoming season, and in some cases, players will be making their way to your favorite team for a fresh start.
Then, there are some teams that need a little bit of an overhaul. Nadia Archuleta, the Editor for our friends over at Mile High Sticking, take a closer look at the Colorado Avalanche and explains why the team should look at altering their leadership structure for the upcoming 2016-17 season. (Mile High Sticking)
Next: Tampa Bay Lightning Ranks Highly in New Poll
The off-season is almost at its end. Before fans know what happened, the Tampa Bay Lightning will be back on the ice and fighting for another opportunity to stake their claim to one of the greatest trophies in all of sports, the Stanley Cup. The only question remaining is whether or not Lightning fans are ready to Be The Thunder?