Ever since the day he stepped into the Lightning lineup, Yanni Gourde has been beloved by Tampa Bay Lightning fans. From his stellar rookie season to his role in the Lightning’s historic back-to-back Stanley Cup wins, Gourde has certainly left an indelible mark on Tampa Bay.
However, fans may be surprised to learn that the Tampa Bay Lightning did not draft Yanni Gourde. In fact, Yanni Gourde was not drafted by any team in the National Hockey League. Yanni Gourde, as per the NHL, was signed by the Tampa Bay Lightning on March 10, 2014 as a free agent.
From his signing with Tampa Bay, Yanni Gourde worked hard. If Gourde is known for only one aspect of his game, it is his hard work. Thus, Gourde worked tirelessly in order to make his way into the National Hockey League.
After what practically felt like blood, sweat, and tears, Gourde was finally given his chance to become a regular NHL forward during the 2017-2018 season. The Tampa Bay Lightning looked to be quite the competitive team as they managed to finish the 2017-2018 NHL season with a record of 54-23-5 as per Hockey Reference. The Lightning were so competitive, in fact, that Hockey Reference lists the team as having finished third out of all teams in the National Hockey League that season only behind the Nashville Predators and the Winnipeg Jets.
How did rookie Yanni Gourde perform? Well, Yanni Gourde blew all expectations out of the water. Yanni Gourde’s rookie campaign saw him score 25 goals and 39 assists for 64 points in 82 games as listed by the NHL. To add icing to the cake, NHL Records shows that Yanni Gourde’s dominant rookie season made him the Lightning’s all-time single-season rookie leader in points.
Yes, Yanni Gourde statically had one of the best seasons a rookie ever had in a Lightning sweater. From there, Yanni Gourde’s gritty style of play earned him a consistent spot in the Lightning’s roster. Gourde then helped lead the Bolts towards their infamous back-to-back Stanley Cup win only a few seasons later. Yanni Gourde’s career looks to be clear evidence that he might very well be one of the best free agent acquisitions the Bolts have ever made in their franchise’s history.
Now, Yanni Gourde is back with the Bolts after a stint with the Seattle Kraken. Gourde is surely hungry for yet another Stanley Cup. Look for Gourde to hopefully help lead his Bolts back to the Stanley Cup once again.