The Tampa Bay Lightning will look slightly different heading into the 2024-25 season. General manager Julien BriseBois made a significant decision not to push to re-sign captain Steven Stamkos, even after acquiring cap space by trading Mikhail Sergachev. Instead, he hopes that Jake Guentzel will fit on the top line with Nikita Kucherov and Brayden Point and that J.J. Moser will fill Sergachev’s skates as a top-four defenseman.
With all of these changes, this will certainly make for a very different season than what Lightning fans have grown accustomed to, and there are ten regular-season games you may want to circle on your calendar before the 2024-25 edition of the Lightning hit the ice.
Lightning vs Nashville Predators, Monday, Oct. 28
It would be a major surprise to see Stamkos play when the Predators come to Tampa for a pre-season game in September, so this will be the former captain’s first appearance in Amalie Arena while not donning a Lightning sweater. At least the NHL did the Lightning fans a small favor by scheduling this early in the season.
Stamkos will go down as one of, if not the most important players in franchise history. He arrived in Tampa Bay and was tasked to rescue a struggling hockey team. Sixteen years later, he has exceeded all expectations. He is a future Hall of Famer, a two-time Stanley Cup champion, and a community icon. This quickly makes the list as a must-watch game or one that might be too painful to watch.
Lightning vs Carolina Hurricanes, Saturday, Oct. 12
The Hurricanes come to Tampa for the home opener, giving the fans their first full view of the 2024-25 Lightning. This will be the second of back-to-back games between the two teams, as the Lightning will serve as the Hurricanes’ home opener the night before. This will be an early test for the Lightning against a team expected to make a deep run in the playoffs.
After trading the rights of Guentzel to the Lightning, the Hurricanes signed forwards Jack Roslovic, William Carrier, Tyson Jost, and Eric Robinson, and defensemen Sean Walker and Shayne Gostisbehere in an effort to make the playoffs for a seventh consecutive year under coach Rod Brind’Amour.
Lightning vs Florida Panthers, Sunday, Dec. 22
Not only do Lightning fans have to deal with the loss of Stamkos, but also the fact that the Stanley Cup now resides with their in-state rival. This is the first of back-to-back games against the Florida Panthers and it will be an interesting test against a team with the talent to make a third consecutive trip to the Stanley Cup Final.
Lightning vs Toronto Maple Leafs, Saturday, Nov. 28
Having played the Toronto Maple Leafs in the past two out of three playoffs, the two teams have intensified their rivalry, making this American Thanksgiving weekend game intriguing when Auston Matthews and company come to town. The Maple Leafs have made a few changes in the offseason but are expected to be playoff contenders and should make for an exciting game to watch as we unwind from Black Friday shopping.
Lightning at Edmonton Oilers, Tuesday, Dec. 10
The Lightning will get their first look at a team that is currently considered the favorite by many to win the Stanley Cup in 2024-25 after pushing the Panthers to a Game 7 in last season’s Cup Final. Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl lead a talented group that if you are a Lightning optimist, you could call this a preview of this year’s Final matchup.
This game is the second of a critical four-game western road trip that will also see the Lightning face the Vancouver Canucks, Calgary Flames, and Seattle Kraken. The Canucks and Flames were also playoff teams, and the Kraken are looking to get back into the playoffs after missing out last season.
Lightning vs Chicago Blackhawks, Tuesday, Jan. 28
Connor Bedard, the first overall pick in the 2023 NHL Draft, comes to town, and Lightning fans hope the team can prevent a repeat of last year’s game in Tampa when he scored two goals and two assists in a 5-3 Blackhawks victory. Bedard will have more support this season as the Blackhawks were very busy in free agency, signing eight players to bolster their young and talented roster.
While this team might not be good enough to make the playoffs this season, watching a generational talent like Bedard on an improved Blackhawks squad, including former Lightning Pat Maroon, should make for an entertaining matchup.
Expect a large contingency of Blackhawks fans to invade Amalie Arena. In addition to the many mid-westerners who call the Sunshine State home, you can find many Blackhawks fans at visiting arenas across the NHL. The added bonus for these fans is allowing them to escape the generally unpleasant January weather in the mid-west and travel to sunny Tampa.
Lightning vs San Jose Sharks, Thursday, Dec. 5
Speaking of first-overall selections, Macklin Celebrini and the San Jose Sharks will appear at Amalie Arena in early December. The first overall selection in 2024 played last season at Boston University and had 55 points in 33 games, putting him third overall in collegiate scoring, a 1.67 point per game rate. He dominated older competition night in and night out and has the size and stature to handle himself in any situation.
In addition, the Sharks signed Will Smith, the fourth overall selection in the 2023 Draft. He set a new BC program record for points and assists by a freshman and scored the fifth-most goals among first-year players. His 45 assists rank tied for third all-time in a season for the college, and his 71 points are the 10th-best in the program’s history. He was the first skater for Boston College to reach 70 points since Johnny Gaudreau (80) did so during the 2013-14 season.
Lightning at Utah Hockey Club, Saturday, March 22
This reunion will take a little longer as the Lightning’s first game against Sergachev and the Utah Hockey Club will not happen until later in the season. After moving the team formerly known as the Arizona Coyotes, the Utah Hockey Club will play in downtown Salt Lake City at Delta Center. This basketball arena will need renovations in the coming years to increase the capacity of seats with an unobstructed view of the ice.
Sergachev will make his first appearance in Tampa less than a week later, on March 27. Utah upgraded their defense in a major way by adding Sergachev, who was “shocked” to hear that he was traded. He is expected to step in and play top-pair minutes alongside Sean Durzi. The team also added John Marino from the New Jersey Devils, who will immediately improve their top four.
Lightning vs Florida Panthers, Tuesday, April 15
The Panthers come to Amalie Arena for the 2024-25 home season finale. This game is against their in-state rival and concludes a four-game homestand against teams likely to be in contention for playoff slots. Before the game against the Panthers, the Lightning will host the Maple Leafs, Detroit Red Wings, and Buffalo Sabres. This could be a critical stretch of games in determining if they will make the playoffs.
Lightning vs Seattle Kraken, Sunday, Feb. 23
This will be the Lightning’s first game back after the NHL takes a two-week break to host the 4 Nations Face-Off tournament. Teams representing Canada, Finland, Sweden, and the United States will play each other in a round-robin format, followed by a one-game final between the two top-placed teams. Lightning head coach Jon Cooper will be Canada’s head coach for both the 4 Nations Face-Off and the 2026 Winter Olympics.
The Lightning are expected to witness some history being made as the Kraken recently added Jessica Campbell to their coaching staff. She will be the first woman to serve as a full-time coach in the NHL. In 2022, she also became the first woman to coach in the American Hockey League (AHL) for the Coachella Valley Firebirds.
With all of the moves the Lightning made in the offseason, this should prove to be a very interesting season. The team and its fans will find out if BriseBois’ bold moves will take the team to a deeper playoff run than they had over the past two seasons.
