Lightning To Host Annual NHL Showcase At AdventHealth Center Ice

TAMPA, FL — The Tampa Bay Lightning announced the roster and the schedule for the 2021 NHL Prospect Showcase, presented by Florida Blue Sept. 18-21 at AdventHealth Center Ice in Wesley Chapel.

The Lightning are hosting the annual showcase this season and will welcome prospect teams from the Carolina Hurricanes, Nashville Predators and Florida Panthers.

All four teams will play each other once over the four-day showcase, which begins Saturday, Sept. 18 with matchups between Carolina and Florida at 10 a.m. and Tampa Bay and Nashville at 1 p.m.

Any skater or goaltender in each of the four organizations on an entry-level contract (or less), provided they are 24 or younger and have less than 20 games of NHL experience, are eligible to participate in the showcase (exceptions may be permitted with prior approval from all teams).

Teams will dress 18 skaters and two goaltenders for each contest. Games are regulation length with three 20-minute periods. A five-minute, 3-on-3 overtime period will determine a winner if games are tied after regulation. Games will conclude with a five-player-per-team shootout regardless of the final score.

Tampa Bay's roster contains a number of the organization's top prospects, including 2018 second-round draft pick Gabriel Fortier, who recorded six goals and 10 points in 30 games last season for the Syracuse Crunch, the Lightning's American Hockey League affiliate.

Also participating for the Bolts are a pair of 2020 second-round draft selections in forwards Jack Finley and Gage Goncalves, who each made their professional hockey debut with Syracuse during the 2020-21 season.

Three of Tampa Bay's selections from the 2021 NHL Draft in July will be in attendance as well: D Roman Schmidt (third round - No. 96 overall), F Cameron MacDonald (fifth round - 160 overall) and F Niko Huuhtanen (seventh round - No. 224 overall).

All Lightning games will be streamed live.

Game Schedule

Saturday, Sept. 18

• Carolina Hurricanes vs. Florida Panthers at 10 a.m.
• Tampa Bay Lightning vs. Nashville Predators at 1 p.m. at the Amalie Arena

Sunday, Sept. 19

• Nashville Predators vs. Florida Panthers at 10 a.m.
• Carolina Hurricanes vs. Tampa Bay Lightning at 1 p.m.

Monday, Sept. 20

• Practice day

Tuesday, Sept. 21

• Nashville Predators vs. Carolina Hurricanes at 10 a.m.
• Florida Panthers vs. Tampa Bay Lightning at 1 p.m.

Lightning 2021-22 Game Schedule

Meanwhile, the National Hockey League announced start times for the 2021-22 regular season.

The 2021-22 regular season will begin Tuesday, Oct. 12 with a doubleheader that includes the Tampa Bay Lightning raising their third Stanley Cup championship banner before facing the Pittsburgh Penguins at Amalie Arena at 7:30 p.m.

It will be followed by the first-ever regular-seaon game for the NHL's 32nd franchise, the Seattle Kraken, which will play against the Vegas Golden Knights at T-Mobile Arena at 10 p.m.

The 1,312-game regular-season schedule with each team playing 82 game will end Friday, April 29, when 30 of the league's 32 teams take to the ice.

Click here for the full game schedule.

Single game tickets for all Tampa Bay Lightning games at Amalie Arena during the 2021 preseason, presented by Florida Blue, inclusive of the team's game at Orlando's Amway Center on Oct. 5, and the 2021-22 regular season, presented by AdventHealth, are on sale. Single game tickets can be purchased exclusively online.

The Lightning will once again play all teams in the NHL, including the newest expansion team, the Seattle Kraken. Similar to past seasons, the Bolts will take on each team in their division four times (except for Buffalo and Montreal which it will play three times each), play the Metropolitan Division three times each and play against each Western Conference opponent twice (once home and once away).

The 2022 Honda NHL All-Star Weekend will take place in Las Vegas Feb. 4-5. It will include the 2022 NHL All-Star Skills™ on Friday, Feb. 4, the 2022 Honda NHL All-Star Game on Saturday, Feb. 5, and will feature various hockey-themed events, entertainment and activities.

The Lightning will once again play an even split of 41 home and road games and will have their longest home stand of the season of five consecutive home games from April 14 through April 23.

The longest road trip will consist of six games from March 6 through March 16 which includes the Lightning's first visit to Seattle on March 16. The Bolts will also play the Nashville Predators at Nissan Stadium for an NHL Stadium Series Game on Saturday, Feb. 26. The Bolts will face Seattle for the first time on Nov. 26 at Amalie Arena.