Tampa Bay Lightning Triumph Amidst Hurricane Chaos

Returning Home After Hurricane Milton

Victor Hedman, along with his Tampa Bay Lightning teammates, were closely monitoring the situation back in Florida as Hurricane Milton unleashed its wrath. Having spent a significant amount of time in North Carolina, they are now ready to return home, now that the storm and their regular-season opener are over, to assess the situation and plan their next steps.

Their stay in Raleigh was extended due to the hurricane, where they faced off with the Carolina Hurricanes, defeating them 4-1 in a season opener for both teams. This victory marked the end of their prolonged stay, which was aimed at escaping the destructive path of Hurricane Milton.

The Impact of Hurricane Milton on The Tampa Bay Lightning

The hurricane forced the Lightning to leave Florida early, leading to days of preparation, spending quality time with their families in an unfamiliar environment, and hoping for the best for their homes. Hedman mentioned that many of the players were receiving updates about their properties and appreciated having a few days to gather their thoughts.

The catastrophic storm claimed at least ten lives by Friday night, causing flooding and tornadoes. Approximately 1.9 million customers in Florida were without power, according to poweroutage.us. The preseason game against Nashville on Monday was called off, and the team headed to North Carolina to avoid the hurricane.

The Team’s Response to the Situation

Jon Cooper, the Lightning’s coach who led them to two Stanley Cup victories, expressed uncertainty about how his team would react to the disrupted routines and worry. However, he was confident that they were eager to get back to playing hockey.

Apart from Jordan Staal’s goal, Cooper was pleased with how Tampa Bay performed in the first period. A vigorous third period saw Nikita Kucherov score three goals, including the winning one-timer and two empty-netters, leading the Lightning to victory. “Everyone is incredibly focused at the moment,” stated Kucherov.

A Welcome Distraction Amid an Unusual Situation

The game between these playoff regulars provided a much-needed distraction and a sense of normalcy amidst the chaos. With many players having their families with them on the trip, Cooper gave the team Wednesday off to prepare for the opening night.

Cooper used the opportunity to visit Duke’s campus in nearby Durham, reconnecting with John Danowski, his former coach at Hofstra during his own playing career. During his visit, he also met with the retired Hall of Fame men’s basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski.

The team then visited nearby North Carolina, specifically Chapel Hill, home to the Tar Heels basketball program. “We saw numerous pictures of Michael Jordan and discovered a fascinating establishment there,” Cooper shared with reporters on Friday.

Looking Forward After the Hurricane

A rematch between the Lightning and Hurricanes in Florida on Saturday was postponed due to the ongoing recovery efforts from Hurricane Milton. This means that the Lightning’s next game won’t be until they host New Jersey on Tuesday.

“We’re not out of the woods yet with some of the adversity we’ve got to face,” Cooper said after the win, revealing that most of the team members were likely to return to Tampa and stay in a hotel. “This will be the first time that anyone gets to see what damage has been done with their own eyes.”

The team plans to take Saturday off and return to work on Sunday, hopefully with a clearer understanding of what lies ahead. “We’re super excited to get back home and hopefully get our lives going again,” said Hedman, expressing hope that they’ve seen the last of the storms for this year.