In another sign that the 2025-26 NHL season is coming close to getting underway, the Tampa Bay Lightning announced the roster and schedule for their upcoming 2025 NHL Prospect Tournament, presented by Florida Blue. Once the youths hit town, it means it’s only a matter of days until the veterans join them for training camp. Then the real fun begins.
The Lightning will play host this year as prospects from the Nashville Predators, Carolina Hurricanes, and Florida Panthers will join the Baby Bolts at the AdventHealth Center Ice in Wesley Chapel from September 12-15. Games will begin on the 12th and will be streamed on the team’s website as well as broadcast on The Spot – Tampa Bay 66 (WXPX-TV).
With all of these rookie tournaments across the league, there are some stipulations as to who can participate. Players have to be 24 or younger and have less than 20 games of NHL experience. They have to be on their entry-level contract or less (no second contracts) although teams can make exceptions with the approval of the other organizations participating.
Usually college-bound players won’t be there because teams aren’t allowed to foot the bill for their travel or accommodations. Prospects slated to play for European teams or KHL teams rarely make the trip over as their seasons are starting to ramp up as well. With all of that being said, there really aren’t many surprises on the invite roster.
The lone top tier prospect not showing up on the list is Jack Finley. It is possible that it is a workload issue for the oft-injured forward. Perhaps the Lightning brass want to make sure he is 100% ready for training camp as he is in line to compete for one of the bottom-six roles this year. Finley will be skating with some other rookies earlier in September as he was invited to the NHLPA’s Rookie Showcase on September 3 in Arlington, VA.
Lightning fans will get to see Sam O’Reilly, acquired in a trade for Isaac Howard, in a Bolts uniform for the first time, and all of the top prospects outside of Connor Geekie should be in attendance, including Ethan Czata, their second round pick from the 2025 draft. Based on the roster, it looks like Max Groshev will be sticking to his new position of defense, a change he made at the end of last season with Syracuse.
There are two invitees to the camp. These players have not been drafted by any other organization, and participating in these tournaments can sometimes lead to contracts. Maddox Labre and Anders Miller just have to look over their shoulders in the locker room to see Gabriel Szturc for proof. Szturc turned an invite prior to the 2023-24 season into a contract the next spring.
Both Miller, a goaltender, and Labre, a defenseman, participated in the development camp earlier this summer, so the organization has some idea of what they are capable of doing on the ice. Labre, an 18-year-old who is slated to play one more season for the Victoriaville Tigers and then is committed to Ohio State, is an intriguing defensive prospect. He has some size at 6’2″ and 179 lbs. and plays fairly physical in his own zone. He’s also something that the Lightning don’t really have in their system – a true puck-carrying defenseman. Scouts rave about his ability to lug the puck from his zone through the neutral zone to set up shop in the offensive zone.
Miller, an 18-year-old goaltender from Anchorage, spent last season with the Calgary Hitmen and had a solid year in net, especially in the playoffs where he went 7-3 with a .902 SV% and 2.55 GAA. In the “hockey is a small world” category, Miller was teammates with fellow netminder Caleb Heil with the Sioux Falls Power 16U team during the 2022-23 season.
For many of the prospects participating, it’s their first real taste of professional level hockey. Recent draftees like Czata will be going up against some players that have a couple of years of AHL experience. Seeing what it takes can really help their development as they head back to their junior teams. For other players that are on the cusp of making the NHL, it’s their first chance to show the coaching staff that they are ready to earn a spot with the big club. Dylan Duke and Ethan Gauthier are two players that can start to get on their coach’s good side with a strong tournament.
Schedule:
Friday, Sept. 12
Carolina Hurricanes vs. Florida Panthers 2:00 PM
Nashville Predators vs. Tampa Bay Lightning 5:00 PM
Saturday, Sept. 13
Nashville Predators vs. Carolina Hurricanes 2:00 PM
Florida Panthers vs. Tampa Bay Lightning 5:00 PM
Monday, Sept. 15
Florida Panthers vs. Nashville Predators 12:00 PM
Carolina Hurricanes vs. Tampa Bay Lightning 3:00 PM
Roster
FORWARDS
- 13 ALLARD, Tristan
- 45 CZATA, Ethan
- 53 DUKE, Dylan
- 50 FLINTON, Cooper
- 95 FOSTER, Aiden
- 89 GAUTHIER, Ethan
- 8 HUUHTANEN,Niko
- 68 KURTH, Connor
- 75 MERCURI, Lucas
- 84 MIGNOSA, Marco
- 23 O’REILLY, Sam
- 83 PITRE, Kaden
- 36 ROELENS, Milo
- 96 SZTURC, Gabriel
DEFENSEMEN
- 97 BALDWIN, Everett
- 57 GILL, Dyllan
- 55 GOLICIC, Jan
- 52 GROSHEV, Maxim
- 82 LABRE, Maddox (invitee)
- 76 SCHMIDT, Roman
- 48 SPADA, Grant
GOALTENDERS
- 70 HEIL, Caleb
- 1 MENEGHIN, Harrison
- 80 MILLER, Anders (invitee)
