Lightning Finish Off A Successful Prospects Weekend in Wesley Chapel

All Images Compliments of Christie Ritchie

The Tampa Bay Lightning hosted the 2025 NHL Prospect Tournament, which was held from Sept. 12 to 15 at AdventHealth Center Ice. The tournament featured prospect teams from the Carolina Hurricanes, Florida Panthers and Nashville Predators.

The tourney came to a close on Monday with the Tampa Bay Lightning youngsters beating the Carolina Hurricanes 5-1 with a three-goal second period.

Here is a recap of the weekend:

Tournament Standings and Highlights:

Tampa Bay Lightning: The Lightning prospects finished the tournament with a 2-1 record. After a 3-2 loss to Nashville to open the weekend, they rebounded with a 3-2 victory over the Florida Panthers and capped off the tournament with a decisive 5-1 win against the Carolina Hurricanes.

Nashville Predators: Nashville’s prospects had a strong showing, starting with a 3-2 victory over the host Lightning. They followed that up with a 3-2 win against the Hurricanes but finished the weekend with a 6-1 loss to the Florida Panthers.

Florida Panthers: The Panthers finished the tournament on a high note with a 6-1 rout of the Nashville Predators. Their tournament also included a close 3-2 loss to the Lightning.

Carolina Hurricanes: The Hurricanes went winless in the tournament, suffering a shootout loss to the Panthers and a 3-2 loss to the Predators before falling 5-1 to the Lightning in their final game.

Key Player Performances:

Tampa Bay Lightning: Forward Dylan Duke stood out for his leadership and performance, scoring a key goal in the victory over the Panthers. Lucas Mercuri was noted for his physical play and was a new face on the roster. Tristan Allard also impressed and wore an ‘A’ for the team.

Nashville Predators: The Predators were led by 2025 fifth-overall pick Brady Martin, who scored on a penalty shot and added an assist in their victory over the Lightning. Joakim Kemell also showcased his skills with a sharp power-play goal.

Florida Panthers: Kai Schwindt and Ryan McAllister scored for the Panthers in their “Battle of Florida” matchup against the Lightning.

Carolina Hurricanes: Ivan Ryabkin scored the lone goal for the Hurricanes in their final game of the tournament.

The tournament served as an important opportunity for young players to get a taste of professional-level hockey and for teams to evaluate their talent ahead of main training camps. Many of the participating prospects will now join their respective NHL clubs for the start of main camp.

The Lightning finished the event at AdventHealth Center Ice in Wesley Chapel with a 2-1 record.

“I thought we got better every game, and it was fun,” Syracuse Crunch GM and Coach Joel Bouchard said of the tournament postgame. “We only had a couple of practices, only three games, but I felt every game, period to period in the tournament, in a lot of areas we got better and better.”