The Tampa Bay Lightning secured a win in their home opener against the Vancouver Canucks, which was delayed due to hurricanes, but the effects of the recent storms were still felt in the area.
A week after Hurricane Milton caused significant damage in Florida, debris, broken traffic lights, and power outages were still present. This storm followed Hurricane Helene, which also impacted the region heavily.
“This is different,” said Lightning coach Jon Cooper. “We’ve been in similar situations before, but not quite like this. There’s a lot of chaos everywhere. Many people are still in hotels, including myself. It’s hard to see how many are struggling.”
However, there were some positive moments. Late in the second period, the crowd gave a standing ovation—not for the Lightning players, but for a group of power company workers from Vancouver who were helping with recovery.
“How about the ovation that the Vancouver linemen got when they showed them on the big screen?” Cooper said.
“I don’t usually look up there much, but that was a really moving moment for me. It shows that there is a lot of good out there. When people come together to help each other, it feels good.”
Before the Lightning’s 4-1 victory, there were activities outside Amalie Arena, including a food drive. Discount tickets were offered, and a pregame video highlighted the storms and the efforts of first responders.
The Lightning Foundation increased its commitment to relief efforts from $2 million to an additional $1 million.
“With everything going on, it’s nice to have everyone come here and let off some stress,” said Lightning forward Nick Paul.
The Lightning’s originally scheduled home opener against the Carolina Hurricanes was postponed, and the team spent most of the previous week in Raleigh, North Carolina, before winning 4-1 against the Hurricanes on Friday night.
