Tampa Bay Lightning Headlines: Lightning Girls, Training Camp Battles, And More
Before Tampa Bay Lightning fans head out to start their day, let’s take a look at some of the top Lightning headlines and other news from around the NHL.
Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. It looks as if we are going to be trading in some of our Florida sunshine for a bit of rain today. Everything looks to be kicking into high gear just after noon time, so be prepared for that.
Now, moving on to a storm the Bolts Nation wants to head this direction. For those of you like us here at Bolts By The Bay have been anxiously awaiting the start of the new season and have been counting the days until the day finally arrives, know that we are just 44 days away from Tampa Bay Lightning Hockey.
That means in just over a month and a half, players like Steven Stamkos, Victor Hedman, Ben Bishop, and the rest of the Tampa Bay Lightning will be making their way back to the Bolts Nation, lacing up their skates, and preparing for battle against some of the best teams in the National Hockey League.
Tampa Bay Lightning
At the same time, the glorious moment is still a month and a half away, and there is plenty of business to handle in between now and then. Before everyone here in the Bolts Nation heads out to begin their day, let’s take a closer look at some of the top Lightning headlines as well as other news from around the NHL.
On September 13th, EA Sports is set to release their latest edition of their popular hockey franchise NHL 17. Over the course of the off-season, a select number of people have been invited to participate in the NHL 17 Beta. Thankfully, Bolts By The Bay Contributor Chase Kimball was one of those people.
Ever since gaining access to the Beta, he has been breaking down the game showing fans what they can expect and how the Tampa Bay Lightning have been represented in the game. Now, EA Sports has finally revealed their rankings for the Top 10 right wingers in the game.
As you can imagine, Chase has been all over this. As it turns out, someone very near and dear to our hearts has made the list. We’ll give you a clue…he’s Russian. (Bolts By The Bay)
The voting has finally ended in the Best of the Bolts competition the Tampa Bay Lightning have been running throughout the course of the off-season. Now, the Final Four are set. The first bracket of the Final Four opened up today and let’s just say there are some pretty amazing moments to vote for.
As usual, don’t wait too long. Voting for the first bracket, which has “Extra Attacker Sinks the Islanders” taking on “Stopping an Avalanche,” will end at noon on August 31st. If you want your vote counted, you’d better hurry. (Tampa Bay Lightning)
Earlier this year, the Tampa Bay Lightning organization held auditions for their 2016-17 Lightning Girls. If you have ever been to the Amalie Arena on game day, there is no doubt you have seen the Lightning Girls fire up fans before making their way into the game.
Most people think being a member of the Lightning Girls takes little more than being physically fit and a really good dancer. It turns out, there are many other things the selection committee looks at when making their decision on who will represent the Tampa Bay Lightning in the upcoming season.
must read: Tampa Bay Lightning Year In Review: Kristers Gudlevskis
Yesterday, the Tampa Bay Lightning posted a video to their Twitter page giving fans a little insight as to what goes into the selection process and a peek at what one of their routines may very well look like next season. (Tampa Bay Lightning)
We’ve reached the part in the off-season where Training Camp is right around the corner. Soon, players all around the NHL will be returning to their homes in order to prepare themselves for the upcoming season. This is where things start to get really interesting.
Training camp is the time of the year when everything is up for grabs. It’s time for the players to leave everything out on the ice so the team’s coaching staff can put together the best team possible. The Tampa Bay Lightning have more than a few changes that could be made during Training Camp.
The people over at Bleacher Reports have taken a closer look at the 30 teams in the NHL and broke down what could be one of the biggest battles facing each team at Training Camp. Surprisingly enough, it seems as if they have hit the nail on the head when it comes to the Lightning. (Bleacher Report)
News From Around The National Hockey League
The Tampa Bay Lightning got some pretty bad news over the course of the off-season when the news broke that Lightning alternate captain Ryan Callahan would miss the first part of the season after undergoing surgery to repair a labral tear in his hip.
It seems as if the Lightning aren’t the only team heading into the 2016-17 season with one of their key players on the injury list. Pittsburgh Penguins forward Phil Kessel had to have wrist surgery back in July, and now Penguins GM Jim Rutherford isn’t sure Kessel will be ready for the start of the season. (NHL.com)
If you look back into the recent history of the NHL, you’ll find there are long periods of time when the Western Conference would reign supreme over the Eastern Conference; however, if you look at the last few years, it seems a change in the tide is upon us.
Jeremy Layton over at Sports Illustrated takes a closer look at the two sides and breaks down how a power shift is quickly approaching in the National Hockey League. (SI.com)
The National Hockey League has a plethora of talented players within its ranks. As each day passes, new players are making their way to the NHL in the hopes of making a name for themselves.
must read: Tampa Bay Lightning Year In Review: Nikita Nesterov
Some of these players are more than ready to take on the best the National Hockey League has to offer from the moment they lace up their skates. Others may need a few years to reach the highest levels of the game.
Hockey Expert Ryan Ritchie over at Puck Prose have taken a closer look at some of the younger players in the National Hockey League and has put together a list of the Top 20 Players Under 20 Years of Age. (Puck Prose)
There has been a lot of discussion surrounding the status of Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Ben Bishop at the conclusion of the 2016-17 season. There are two things that could greatly impact his future in Lightning blue.
The first of those options revolves around his Unrestricted Free Agent status at the end of the season. The second comes at the hands of the impending Expansion Draft. As you can imagine, there are many questions that need answers before the end of the 2016-17 season.
The Tampa Bay Lightning aren’t the only team dealing with goaltending issues right now. What do you do when you have two players who are capable of holding the top spot between the pipes? Obviously, a decision needs to be made; a decision Penguins GM Jim Rutherford will have to make sooner rather than later. (Pens Labyrinth)
Next: Tampa Bay Lightning Year In Review: Nikita Nesterov
As we’ve mentioned before, there is only about a month and a half away from the start of the new season. While this seems like a lot of time, when it comes to the decisions some teams have before them the clock is ticking. Where do you think the Tampa Bay Lightning will stand when all is said and done?