BRANDON, Fla. — This week, the Tampa Bay Lightning get a fresh look at their possible future stars. The Prospect Showcase runs Wednesday and Thursday at TGH Ice Plex in Brandon. Thursday afternoon they'll travel to North Carolina for three exhibition games.
Tampa Bay's roster contains a number of the organization's top prospects, including 2020 third-round draft pick Jack Thompson, who recently captured a gold medal with Team Canada at the 2022 IIHF World Junior Championship in August. Thompson scored one goal and added three assists for four points with a plus-10 rating.
Also participating for the Bolts are three players who spent extended time last season with the Syracuse Crunch, the Lightning's American Hockey League affiliate, in forwards Gabriel Fortier, Gage Goncalves and Cole Koepke. The trio combined for 211 games with Syracuse last season, scoring 51 goals and adding 55 assists for 106 points, collectively.
Two of Tampa Bay's selections from the 2022 NHL Draft in July will be in attendance as well: F Lucas Edmonds (3rd rd. - No. 86 overall) and D Dyllan Gill (7th Rd. - 223 overall).
Players like Thompson understand they're walking into an organization that has an established culture of winning.
"You see it around the room with the players they’ve had here. The success they’ve had in the last five years is pretty special," he said after Wednesday's workout. " Just getting a chance to be part of this organization is pretty cool."
Goaltender Jack LaFontaine said he's working on the technical parts of his game during this preseason.
I’m a big believer in that pressure breeds success. Pressure is what breeds the best players in the world," LaFontaine said. "To be a part of this camp is obviously a huge privilege. To compete at the highest level, especially with this organization, it’s a treat."
LaFontaine, 24, was originally drafted by the Carolina Hurricanes. He spent day one of the showcase wearing his Hurricanes mask because the mask-maker accidentally made his Lightning one the wrong size.
"I’m a medium, and they accidentally sent a large. It’s gonna be a little bit longer," LaFontaine joked. "I’m going to be rolling into Carolina wearing this, which should be a little bit funny. But nonetheless, the mask’s got good juju, so I’m not complaining about it."
After hosting the annual Showcase, the Lightning will travel north and battle prospect teams from the Carolina Hurricanes, Florida Panthers and Nashville Predators.
All four teams will play each other once over the four-day Showcase, which begins Friday, September 16, with matchups between Carolina and Florida at 10 a.m. and Tampa Bay and Nashville at 1 p.m.
All Lightning games will be streamed live here.
Game Schedule
Friday, September 16
Carolina Hurricanes vs. Florida Panthers | 10 a.m. (Invisalign Arena)
Tampa Bay Lightning vs. Nashville Predators | 1 p.m. (Invisalign Arena)
Saturday, September 17
Practice Day in N.C.
Sunday, September 18
Carolina Hurricanes vs. Nashville Predators | 10 a.m. (PNC Arena)
Tampa Bay Lightning vs. Florida Panthers | 1 p.m. (PNC Arena)
Monday, September 19
Nashville Predators vs. Florida Panthers | 10 a.m. (PNC Arena)
Carolina Hurricanes vs. Tampa Bay Lightning | 1 p.m. (PNC Arena)
