NHL forced to postpone Tampa Bay Lightning home opener due to dangerous conditions
The NHL has been forced to postpone the Tampa Bay Lightning's home opener against the Carolina Hurricanes following Hurricane Milton.
Florida is currently dealing with the aftermath of Hurricane Milton. The city of Tampa wasn't spared, and the Amalie Arena, home of the Tampa Bay Lightning, was affected.
The Lightning were set to play their first home game of the season this Saturday, but it won't be possible. The NHL finally made an announcement regarding Saturday's game between Tampa Bay and the Carolina Hurricanes.
In an official press release, it was confirmed that the game will be postponed:
Hockey fans all over the world were eager to see their favorite teams back in action. Unfortunately, they'll have to wait, as the organization, the city of Tampa, and the state of Florida are dealing with something much bigger than hockey.
The organization members and their families were lucky enough to fly to North Carolina before the hurricane on Monday. There, they continued to practice ahead of their first game of the season in Carolina while staying focused on the bigger picture back home.
Lightning head coach Jon Cooper opened up about the situation in a recent press conference:
"We have the ability to bring our families, loved ones, and pets with us. You have to thank the Carolina Hurricanes for everything they did to help us and to continue our training camp here. You've got to love that about our league, that everybody is still in it together, even though we're going to beat each other up in a couple of days. They deserve a lot of credit.»
Further updates on the Lightning's home games are expected from the NHL over the coming days.
