The Tampa Bay Lightning are keeping Yanni Gourde around for the long term. They signed the two-time Stanley Cup champion to a six-year contract worth just under $14 million.

Samoskevich, who was on Florida’s top power-play unit, even fed Bennett for the Panthers’ first goal of the playoffs in a 6-2 win against the host Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference First Round. Pretty good way to make your postseason debut. “I can’t wait to get started,” Samoskevich said before the playoffs began.

Following three straight first-round exits, the Tampa Bay Lightning want to prove that they can still compete for a championship. Apparently, they believe that adding some more championship pedigree behind the bench is the way to go.

The financial edge is just one advantage teams like the Florida Panthers, Vegas Golden Knights, Tampa Bay Lightning and Dallas Stars have in attracting and retaining players.

Yanni Gourde is staying in Tampa after signing a six-year contract with the Tampa Bay Lightning, vice president and general manager Julien BriseBois announced.

You feel like you are part of the group, but it’s a little different,” one third-string goaltender for a championship team said.

The Tampa Bay Lightning have hired former Nashville Predators assistant coach Dan Hinote to join their coaching staff, the team announced on Friday.