The Tampa Bay Lightning have officially announced their 24-man roster for the upcoming Prospect Tournament at the Panthers IceDen in Coral Springs, Florida.
As many Tampa Bay Lightning fans know by now, the team will be taking part in a three-day Prospect Tournament. The tournament is set to kick off on Saturday, September 17th and conclude on Tuesday, September 20th.
The Lightning prospects will be facing off with a number of familiar foes. Also participating in the three-day tournament and prospects from the Washington Capitals, Nashville Predators, and the Lightning’s in-state rivals, the Florida Panthers.
In preparation for the upcoming tournament, the Tampa Bay Lightning have officially released the 24-man roster of players who will be representing the team in the tournament. There are plenty of familiar faces on the list and quite a few players fans will want to keep their eyes on.
Tampa Bay Lightning
One of the most familiar faces on that roster will be Lightning prospect, Adam Erne. Erne was drafted in the second round (33rd overall) in the 2013 NHL Entry Draft.
Adam Erne’s large frame, increasing speed, and hard hits have made the 21-year-old left wing a force to be reckoned with on the ice. Last season, Erne played in a total of 59 games with the Syracuse Crunch. In that amount of time, he was able to score 14 goals and 15 assists for a total of 29 points.
Also on the roster for the upcoming Prospect Tournament is Lightning prospect Bokondji Imama. At six-foot, one inch, 222 pounds forward has made a name for himself as one of the toughest players in the organization. Not only does he lay down a monster hit, but when the gloves come off it’s every man for themselves.
Here is a closer look at the roster of players who will be representing the Tampa Bay Lightning in the 2016-17 Prospect Tournament in Coral Springs courtesy of the Lightning’s official site.
Forwards
| # | Player Name | 2015-16 Team |
| 71 | Anthony Cirelli | Oshawa Generals (OHL) Syracuse Crunch (AHL) |
| 37 | Cameron Darcy | Syracuse Crunch (AHL) |
| 73 | Adam Erne | Syracuse Crunch (AHL) |
| 39 | Brian Hart | Greenville Swamp Rabbits (ECHL) Syracuse Crunch (AHL) |
| 48 | Bret Howden | Moose Jaw Warriors (WHL) |
| 58 | Bokondji Imama | St. John Sea Dogs (QMJHL) |
| 52 | Mathieu Joseph | St. John Sea Dogs (QMJHL) |
| 41 | Boris Katchouk | Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds (OHL) |
| 34 | Christopher Paquette | Niagara IceDogs (OHL) |
| 36 | Brayden Point | Moose Jaw Warriors (WHL) |
| 46 | Taylor Raddysh | Erie Otters (OHL) |
| 42 | Otto Somppi | Halifax Mooseheads (QMJHL) |
| 67 | Mitchell Stephens | Saginaw Spirit (OHL) Syracuse Crunch (AHL) |
| 47 | Jonne Tammela | Kalpa (Finland) Syracuse Crunch (AHL) |
| 54 | Dennis Yan | Shawinigan Cataractes (QMJHL) |
Defensemen
| # | Player Name | 2015-16 Team |
| 43 | Libor Hajek | Saskatoon Blades (WHL) |
| 60 | David Henley | Charlottetown Islanders (QMJHL) Val-d’OrForeurs (QMJHL) |
| 74 | Dominik Masin | Peterborough Petes (OHL) Syracuse Crunch (AHL) |
| 97 | Jordan Murray | University of New Brunswick (AUS) |
| 64 | Matt Spencer | Peterborough Petes (OHL) Syracuse Crunch (AHL) |
| 56 | Ben Thomas | Calgary Hitmen (WHL) Vancouver Giants (WHL)Syracuse Crunch (AHL) |
| 75 | Daniel Walcott | Syracuse Crunch (AHL) Greenville Swamp Rabbits (ECHL) |
Goalies
| # | Player Name | 2015-16 Team |
| 1 | Conner Ingram | Kamloops Blazers (WHL) |
| 32 | Adam Wilcox | Syracuse Crunch (AHL) |
For some, this will be their very first outing with the Tampa Bay Lightning. For others, this will be the next step in their journey to make their way into the National Hockey League and onto the bench with the Tampa Bay Lightning.
The one thing we know for sure is it will be an exciting event that will give Tampa Bay Lightning fans an up close and personal look at some of the Lightning’s prospects on a much grander stage. The competition will be tight and every single player will leave it all out on the ice in order to emerge victoriously.
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Which of the players on the roster are you most looking forward to seeing? Is there a player on this list you think could be a future star of the Tampa Bay Lightning? Let’s just say, there’s more than one name on this roster we’d keep our eyes on over the course of the next year or two.