In his midseason address to the media, Tampa Bay Lightning general manager Julien BriseBois addressed the health of injured defensemen Mikhail Sergachev and Haydn Fleury. He was cautiously optimistic that Sergy would be back after the All-Star break:
So, expect the kids like Max Crozier to get a few more NHL games under their belt over the next couple of weeks. It wasn’t all bad news though as Sergachev posted video of himself skating on Instagram (also nice to see him back on the ‘gram):
After a couple of aborted attempts at a comeback following his injury, it’s good to see him skating again without apparent discomfort. While the call-ups from Syracuse have done an admirable job of filling in, it’s tough to replace the minutes and offense Sergachev provides when he’s healthy and at the top of his game.
Other Hockey News
The Gasparilla jerseys have been released. Why are their 1904 available? That was the year that the Ye Mystic Krewe of Gasparilla was founded and staged their first “invasion” of Tampa (on horseback!)
Steven Stamkos joins The Block Party [wherever you get your podcasts]
The Captain talks with the crew about his career and his jet skis.
IIHF reverses ban on Israeli National Team [IIHF]
After initially disallowing the Israeli hockey team from competing in events for their own safety, the IIHF has removed that ban after receiving the “required confirmation for the safety and security needed to allow the Israeli National team” to participate in the upcoming U20 World Championship Division III tournament.
Joe Thornton jersey retirement night announced [San Jose Sharks]
Jumbo Joe Thornton will be honored next season when the San Jose Sharks retire his number 19. He will be the second Shark to receive that honor following Patrick Marleau, who saw his number 12 retired in February of 2023.
Bally Sports and Amazon reach agreement [Miami Herald]
While this article focuses on the Miami Heat and Florida Panthers, it applies to the Lightning as well. With Amazon infusing Diamond Sports with $100 million it looks like they will survive to continue broadcasting sports. Will Lightning games appear on Amazon Prime? Probably not, since Bally’s is already streaming the games through their app.
2023-24 NHL Season Projections (update) [The Athletic]
They have the Lightning with a 58% chance of making the playoffs, one of the highest marks since the beginning of the season. However, they also have them with the second hardest remaining schedule among Atlantic Division teams.
