For some members of the Tampa Bay Lightning, a much-needed break in the regular season gets underway today. The NHL is officially shut down for the next few weeks as the attention of the hockey world shifts to Italy and the 2026 Winter Olympics. After 12 years, NHL players are back for a best-on-best tournament (minus, of course, the Russians) and the players are excited to be heading overseas for a chance to earn a gold medal, as well as locker room bragging rights.
Even with Brayden Point (lower body injury) and Anthony Cirelli (upper body injury) missing their chance to play for Team Canda, the Bolts will be well represented in Milan as eight players (plus a member of the Syracuse Crunch) are set to play for their country.