On Tuesday, the NHL season kicked off with the Tampa Bay Lightning defeating the Vancouver Canucks 4-1, providing a much-needed boost for hockey fans in the storm-affected city.
The event also served a charitable purpose, featuring a food drive, a raffle, and a group of Canucks fans who arrived weeks early to assist with power line repairs after Hurricane Milton. Forty-four fans flew in to support their team, the Lightning’s opponents, and helped with recovery efforts. During the second period, they were recognized on the big screen, receiving the loudest cheer of the night. Lightning coach Jon Cooper commented on the moment, saying, “That was a pretty moving moment for me. It shows there’s a lot of good out there. When people help each other, it does make you feel good.” Outside Amelie Arena, a collection drive encouraged fans to donate non-perishable food, cleaning supplies, hygiene products, and other essentials for the first two home games. These items were donated to Feeding Tampa Bay, Metropolitan Ministries, and the University Area Community Development Corporation (UACDC).
The Lightning Foundation contributed $2 million towards relief efforts, later increasing that commitment to $3 million thanks to proceeds from a 50/50 raffle. Lightning Captain Victor Hedman also donated $150,000 to the Tampa Police Department and the Coast Guard Foundation. The team partnered with Ticketmaster to reduce ticket prices for the first three home games and reserved hundreds of tickets for first responders and their families as a gesture of appreciation. As the team took the ice, Captain Hedman led them with the “Tampa Strong” flag before securing a decisive 4-1 victory, bolstered by goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy, who made 21 saves and faced 14 penalty minutes without allowing a goal.
