The Bolts
Philadelphia Flyers legend Vincent Lecavalier will become the second Tampa Bay Lightning player to have his number retired by the team. #4 will join Martin St. Louis’s #26 in the rafters of Amalie Arena on February 10th, 2018. “People were saying, ‘You’ll never win there. How do you play there? It’s hot.’ But, obviously, we proved them wrong.” [NHL dot com]
1,212 games played. 421 goals. 528 assists. 949 points.
Only one #VL4. ⚡️ pic.twitter.com/3wdc0lJAig
— Tampa Bay Lightning (@TBLightning) September 25, 2017
Steven Stamkos will be the captain of the Tampa Bay Lightning. But who will carry the A’s? “Ondrej Palat, Ryan Callahan, Anton Stralman, Victor Hedman, Braydon Coburn, Brian Boyle, Valtteri Filppula, and Alex Killorn all wore an A on their jersey at least once in 2016-17.” [Raw Charge]
Vladdy and Kuch are so adorable!
These two 🤣 pic.twitter.com/1QMhZWjPwo
— Tampa Bay Lightning (@TBLightning) September 25, 2017
A new episode of Charged Up is available for your listening pleasure! This week @iActium previews the Central Division with Raw Charge contributor, MileHighHockey.com managing editor, and Oshawa, Ontario resident Tom Hunter.
The Lightning still have a few questions left to answer when it comes to their roster. We knew some of these questions were present heading into camp, but others have come out of nowhere. “Alex Volkov, 20, is intriguing, his size and skill – not to mention his tenacity at driving the net – all NHL attributes. But do you have him make the team – as a first-year pro – to stick in bottom six?” [Tampa Bay Times]
Coach Jon Cooper wants his players to put an emphasis on growing chemistry with each other this week at training camp.
Training camp scrimmage highlights!
Peep some highlights from today’s #BoltsCamp scrimmage: pic.twitter.com/ZN01YW3feL
— Tampa Bay Lightning (@TBLightning) September 26, 2017
The Prospects
The Tampa Bay Lightning cut their training camp roster by 12 ahead of Syracuse Crunch training camp, leaving 26 players left to battle for 23 spots with the big club. “Forwards Anthony Cirelli, Adam Erne, Brett Howden, Mathieu Joseph, Tye McGinn, Matthew Peca, Mitchell Stephens, and Dennis Yan, and defensemen Erik Cernak, Jamie McBain, Ben Thomas, and Daniel Walcott have been cut.” Howden will report to the WHL Moose Jaw Warriors, where he is the captain. [Raw Charge]
Official cut list for your Tampa Bay Lightning today: pic.twitter.com/AJs4reE2ot
— Bolt Prospects (@BoltProspects) September 25, 2017
Raise your hand (in the comments) if you are convinced that Volkov is making the opening night roster.
That’s Alex Volkov leading post-practice stretch for #tblightning. Earned it w two goals last night. pic.twitter.com/n7P927AVat
— Joe Smith (@TBTimes_JSmith) September 25, 2017
The Game
TSN.ca sat down with all-time hockey great Paul Kariya to talk about the hit and concussion that ruined his career. The special will air in Canada on Wednesday, and hopefully will be available online soon after.
WEDNESDAY: Paul Kariya remembers nothing from his famous Game 6. He surfaces in an exclusive interview with TSN: https://t.co/OhdZKIGZiu pic.twitter.com/XFTymereRH
— TSN (@TSN_Sports) September 25, 2017
Speaking of top notch NHL scorers, Auston Matthews and Patrik Laine can really shoot the puck, eh.
Matthews from just inside the blue line pic.twitter.com/ZdJiGTg0mo
— steph (@myregularface) September 25, 2017
Al Montoya didn’t even come close to reacting to Auston Matthews’ 1-0 goal pic.twitter.com/34gR9iOAg8
— Jeff Veillette (@JeffVeillette) September 25, 2017
Laine can shoot. pic.twitter.com/MN4t2IYuBI
— Sean Tierney (@ChartingHockey) September 26, 2017
We won’t EVER get tired of Laine’s one-timers. Ever. pic.twitter.com/6Z2ZE2gR9b
— Winnipeg Jets (@NHLJets) September 26, 2017
The Vegas Golden Knights are thanking their season ticket holders, who paid for season tickets before seeing a single hockey game, by embedding their names in the ice at T-Mobile Arena. “The idea is a unique one for the NHL, as the league has specific rules and guidelines for how the lines on the ice are painted year by year. There doesn’t seem to be any rule keeping the Golden Knights from embedding the names of their season ticket holders into the ice.” [SB Nation]
JUST IN: The Vegas @GoldenKnights are embedding their season ticket holders names in their home ice. pic.twitter.com/EGOgEuySOB
— Darren Rovell (@darrenrovell) September 25, 2017
Note: below are links about the current social and political discussion that is happening in our sport (and in all major sports in North America) right now. I encourage you to stay informed on these issues but if that is not for you, we understand and respect your decision.
Editorial: In a fanpost, @Yolo_Pinyato opened up about how it feels to be a lower income black man in hockey, and how the scarcity of people like him affect how NHL players, whom 93% are white, view the world. “Couldn’t afford it. Equipment, ice time…we didn’t have any of that stuff back home. They didn’t even air the Hawks games in Chicago.” [Raw Charge]
Editorial from @yolo_pinyato: Actions speak louder than words: Hockey is not for everyone https://t.co/eJsnUJKNEr pic.twitter.com/nGXtTzH883
— Raw Charge (@RawCharge) September 25, 2017
Winnipeg Jets captain, and Plymouth, Minnesota native Blake Wheeler spoke out against the President’s statements regarding the NFL and NBA over the weekend. “It’s been a bit of a slow boil, the rhetoric over and over, it’s just a little bit too far a few too many times, so it felt right to take a stance.” [SB Nation]
Regardless of how it makes you feel individually, these are literally the principles the US was founded on. Come on, Mr. President
— Blake Wheeler (@BiggieFunke) September 23, 2017
The Pittsburgh Penguins explain their decision to visit the White House in lieu of the NBA and NCAA basketbals decision (or lack thereof) to bring their trophies to Washington. “Everyone’s got the right to go or not to go. But we’ve been invited and we accepted the invitation. I don’t think you have to read into it any more than that,” – Sidney Crosby [Puck Daddy]
