The Tampa Bay Lightning announced Friday and Sunday that signed defenseman Max Crozier (signed Friday) and Forward Jack Finley (signed Sunday) each to three year contracts that will be two-way contracts for the 2025-26 seasons before they then convert to one-way contracts in 2026-27 and 2027-28. Both Crozier and Finley will receive average annual contracts of $775k.
Max Crozier | #65 | D
25 year old defenseman Max Crozier has been in the Lightning organization since they signed him in the fourth round of the 2019 NHL draft at pick No. 120 overall. Since then he has skated in 110 games with the Lightning’s American Hockey League affiliate, Syracuse Crunch and has appeared in 18 NHL games with the Lightning.
Over the course of his time in the AHL, has 13 goals, with 58 points, 124 penalty minutes incurred, and five power play goals, most of those occurring in 2024-25.
This past 2024-25 season with Syracuse, he skated in 52 games, and it was the season of breakthrough. He recorded a career-high nine goals (five more than he scored in 2023-24). He had 25 assists (eight assist improvement on 2023-24), 34 points earned (13 more than 2023-24), and had a plus 16 rating on the season, compared to being plus 1 in 2023-24. His nine goals were the most among Syracuse defensemen and he also led the team in game-winning goals, plus/minus and shots, with 129 shots on goal.
He also appeared in the Calder Cup Playoffs with the Crunch. He had 13 shots on goal in the playoffs.
Over the course of his full career, he has skated in 110 games with Crunch. He now has 13 goals over the course of his career in the AHL, with 58 points, 124 penalty minutes incurred, and five power play goals.
As for his NHL career, he has skated in 18 games with the Lightning between 2023-24 and 2024-25. In 2023-24 he had two assists and two points.
With the Lightning signing him to a three-year contract on Friday, Crozier will now spend at least the next three seasons as a member of the Lightning.
Jack Finley | #62 | C
Tampa Bay Lightning vice president and general manager Julien BriseBois announed on Sunday a second signing in three-days, with the Lightning also signing forward Jack Finley to a three-year contract worth an AAV of $775,000, the same as Crozier.
Both Crozier and Finley will be on two-way contracts for 2025-26 before moving to one-way contracts in 2026-27 and 2027-28.
Finley has spent the majority of his career with the Syracuse Crunch (2022-23, 2023-24, 2024-25). He has skated in a career 159 games with the Crunch, recording a combined 39 goals over the last three seasons, 42 assists, and 81 points. He was plus two in 2022-23, zero in 2023-24, and plus 11 last season.
The 22 year old from St. Louis, Missouri had a career-high 14 goals last season through 40 games skated in.
He also skated in three Calder Cup playoff games, where he took two shots on goals and incurred five penalty minutes.
While he has skated the majority of his career with the Crunch, Finley had his “I made it” moment on January 14, 2025 when he made his NHL debut with the Tampa Bay Lightning against the Boston Bruins. He recorded 8:25 total time on the ice and was rated plus-1 for his debut game.
While that was the only NHL game the 6’6”, 220lb righty shooter appeared in, should he continue to show signs of improvement, it likely will not be the last we see of him with the Lightning.
When the 2025-26 season begins, both Crozier and Finley will enter into the $775k 3-year contracts, beginning with a two-way contract next season.