Tampa Bay Lightning Open 2024-25 Season Amidst Hurricane Milton Aftermath

The Tampa Bay Lightning are set to open the 2024-25 NHL season with a road game against the Carolina Hurricanes on Friday, October 11, at the Lenovo Center in Raleigh, North Carolina. This matchup comes at a challenging time for the Lightning, as their home city of Tampa Bay is still reeling from the devastating effects of Hurricane Milton.

Hurricane Milton, which made landfall as a Category 3 hurricane, has caused significant destruction in the Tampa Bay area, including damage to homes, infrastructure, and even the roof of Tropicana Field, home of the Tampa Bay Rays. The Lightning’s home opener against the Carolina Hurricanes, originally scheduled for Saturday, October 12, has been postponed due to the ongoing recovery efforts.

Coach Jon Cooper emphasized the team’s commitment to their community, stating that the Lightning have always been at the forefront of community outreach and generosity. “That’s one of the great things about- since I’ve been there- for the past decade is how [Lightning owner Jeff Vinik] has kinda set the bar for how we all do things,” Cooper said. The team is aware of the real-life struggles in Tampa Bay and is prepared to support their community in any way possible.

Victor Hedman, the new team captain, highlighted the team’s determination to perform well despite the challenging circumstances. “We owe it to us, and we owe it to everyone that we put our best foot forward,” Hedman said. “We want to do our fans proud, and we want to do the people of Tampa proud.”.

The Lightning have been in North Carolina since Monday to prepare for the season opener, and they plan to return to Tampa Bay after the game to assess the damage and organize their affairs. The team’s next scheduled game is on Tuesday, October 15, against the Vancouver Canucks.