It’s a random Tuesday in July and there isn’t much going on in the hockey world so why not look ahead and see what type of milestones are on the horizon for Tampa Bay Lightning players. First up, The Big Cat, Andrei Vasilevskiy.
600 Games Played
Vasilevskiy has appeared in 598 regular season games (588 starts). He should clear this one fairly early in the season which will make him the 56th goalie in NHL history to hit that mark. If he gets into his usual 60-ish games, he’ll be up around 45th all time in games played.
400 wins
He’s ripped off at least 30 wins in nine straight seasons. Another 30 win effort and he’ll top the 400 win mark, something only 15 other people in the world have accomplished. If he does it this season, he’ll easily best Sergei Bobrovsky’s record of doing it in 707 games.
19,000 shots against
Vasilevskiy is already 50th all-time in shots faced with 17,590. With another 1,450 stops this season (he saw 1,483 last season) he’ll get to 19,000, which will place him 35th just behind Mike Richter. Marty Brodeur’s 31,709 is still quite a ways away.
29 Penalty Minutes
There aren’t many Tampa Bay Lightning records, either all-time or single season, that Andrei Vasilevskiy doesn’t own. One that he doesn’t hold is penalty minutes in the season. Despite winning the first fight of his career last season, he only mustered 11 penalty minutes on the season. Which isn’t even his personal best. That came in 2017-18 when he had 14. So, it might be a long shot for him to catch Dynamite Dan Cloutier who posted a whopping 29 PIM in the 1999-00 season.
Hockey Stuff
Behind the scenes at NHL Broadcast Training Camp [ESPN]
The days of throwing a retired player in the broadcast booth and letting them loose on the public are over. Nowadays there is media training, and part of it happens in New York where the league helps former players get a taste of what it’s like on the side of the microphone.
Derek Lalonde joins Canadiens coaching staff [Habs’ Eyes on the Prize]
The Newsy Lalonde tour of the Atlantic Division continues. The former Lightning assistant coach has also stood behind benches in Toronto and Detroit. He’s halfway through the division! He’ll be the second “Newsy Lalonde” to be a part of the Canadiens. The original one, Edouard Cyrille Lalonde, played for Montreal from 1910 until 1922. Why was he called “Newsy”? Because he worked for the Cornwall Freeholder newspaper as a youth.
Jack Campbell announces retirement [Daily FaceOff]
He made his name backstopping Team USA’s U20 to gold and bronze medals at the World Juniors, and then spent ten seasons in the NHL. He might not have had the best of careers, but it was a solid one.
2027 Mock Expansion Draft [The Athletic]
The folks over at The Athletic spitball a possible expansion roster should the league add a team in 2027. The Lightning would have an interesting protection list, and it’s likely that Ryan McDonagh might not be on it. He would have a nice steadying influence on a young roster.
Re-ranking cities for NHL expansion in the next five years [Bleacher Report]
Speaking of expansion. It’s happening. We’re not sure where, but it’s coming, and probably soon. BR throws some cities out there with Austin in the lead. New Orleans might be the most intriguing city on this list.
Victor Hedman on projected All-Star roster [NHL.com]
It’s been a hot minute, but the All-Star Game is coming back to the NHL. Next February, five teams will compete at 3-on-3 on Long Island. The US, Canada, Finland, Sweden, and “World” will each ice a team comprised of nine skaters and two goaltenders. The league’s website is projecting some rosters, and as of right now they have Victor Hedman making Team Sweden. No Bolts made the first draft for either the US or Finland.
Backchecking the Bolts: Dr. Victor Matheson [YouTube]
Jason chats with sports economist, Dr. Victor Matheson about a range of topics, from expansion (he is quite adamant about where the league should expand next) to the perceived benefit of tax-free states. It is a really entertaining conversation. Also available on all podcast platforms. Go ahead and give it listen (then like, subscribe, and recommend to your friends).
