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The Tampa Bay Lightning have announced their opening night roster for the 2025-26 season. The lineup consists of many of the same stars fans have gotten to know, along with a few new faces.
A couple of notable additions are prospect forward Jack Finley and free-agent pickup Pontus Holmberg. Forward Curtis Douglas was added recently as a waiver claim. Defenseman Max Crozier, who has played 18 career NHL games over the last two seasons with the Lightning, cracked the roster to start things off as well.
The Lightning will also notably roll with a third goalie on the roster. Pheonix Copley was picked up off waivers last week, and he could potentially help fill gaps where starting goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy might need extra rest.
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As reported previously, Nick Paul will be absent for the first month or so of the season. They’ll be without Zemgus Girgensons as well.
Here is the breakdown of the roster as the Lightning look to not just make the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the ninth season in a row, but make it past the first round since they reached the Stanley Cup Final in 2022.
Lightning 2025-26 Opening Night Roster
Forwards (13): Oliver Borkstrand, Mitchell Chaffee, Anthony Cirelli, Curtis Douglas, Jack Finley, Conor Geekie, Gage Goncalves, Yanni Gourde, Jake Guentzel, Bandon Hagel, Pontus Holmberg, Nikita Kucherov, Brayden Point
Defensemen (7): Erik Cernak, Max Crozier, Victor Hedman, Emil Lilleberg, Ryan McDonagh, JJ Moser, Darren Raddysh
Goalies (3): Pheonix Copley, Jonas Johansson, Andrei Vasilevskiy
Injured and/or Non-Roster: Zemgus Girgensons (IR), Niko Huuhtanen (IR/NR), Nick Paul (IR)
Those who are new to the roster will aim to provide the Lightning with the depth they have been lacking over the last couple of seasons, most notably in the bottom six. The Lightning will open the season on Thursday, Oct. 9, when they host the Ottawa Senators at the newly named Benchmark International Arena. Puck drop is set for 7 p.m.