'We're Right There': Gourde And Lightning Believe Championship Window Has Not Closed
The Tampa Bay Lightning's 'winning culture' played a large part in one of their top pending UFAs sticking around for the long term with a significantly lower cap hit.
The Lightning re-signed Yanni Gourde to a six-year contract worth $2.33 million per season.
Advertisement
Gourde had an average annual value of $5,166,667 on his six-year contract that expires this summer. The Lightning had less than $6 million in cap space for next season, with 19 of 23 active roster spots filled.
The 33-year-old's production is also not the same as when he signed his last contract extension in November 2018. He tallied a career-high 25 goals and 64 points in 82 games in 2017-18, his first full season in the NHL. He's hit 48 points three times since then, but not more. This year, he had 31 points in 57 games.
But Gourde was part of the team's back-to-back Stanley Cup championships in 2020 and 2021, and he doesn't think their competitive window is closed.
'We want to win – I think we're right there,' Gourde said in Monday's press conference. 'I'm so excited for the future and what's coming.'
Advertisement
The undrafted center played parts of his first six NHL seasons with the Lightning.
Ahead of the 2021-22 season, the Seattle Kraken claimed him in their expansion draft. Gourde had four years remaining on his expiring six-year contract worth $5.17 million annually.
However, he returned to the Lightning two days before the trade deadline when they acquired him and right winger Oliver Bjorkstrand in a three-team trade with the Kraken and Detroit Red Wings. Tampa GM Julien BriseBois traded Michael Eyssimont, two first-round picks and a second-rounder for the former Kraken forwards.
The Saint-Narcisse, Que., native shared how excited he was to return to the Lightning and that Tampa was always at the top of his list, whether it's a trade or a contract in free agency.
Advertisement
'I love Tampa,' Gourde said. 'That was the biggest thing for me, getting some term… And play in Tampa for the remaining years of my career.'
Yanni Gourde (Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images)
In 21 regular-season games with the Lightning this season, Gourde recorded one goal and 13 assists while averaging 17 minutes of ice time. In the playoffs, he recorded one helper in five games against the Florida Panthers. Gourde also had six goals and 11 assists for 17 points in 36 games with the Kraken this year.
The Lightning made a similar transaction in the 2024 off-season to re-acquire defenseman Ryan McDonagh. Like Gourde, he was a key piece of Tampa's back-to-back championships.
Advertisement
Although those two players are back in Tampa Bay, the Lightning made a difficult decision last year by letting their longtime captain, Steven Stamkos, hit free agency. The 35-year-old signed with the Nashville Predators instead, while the Lightning traded for the rights to 30-year-old Jake Guentzel and signed him to a seven-year contract worth $9 million annually.
They also traded defenseman Mikhail Sergachev to the Utah Mammoth in exchange for blueliner J.J. Moser, prospect Conor Geekie, a 2024 seventh-round draft pick and a 2025 second-rounder.
Although the Lightning lost in the first round to the Florida Panthers for the second straight year, they finished second in the Atlantic Division for the first time since 2019-20.
The Lightning also have a core of Brayden Point, Guentzel, Brandon Hagel and Anthony Cirelli under contract through at least 2030. Gourde and defenseman Erik Cernak are also part of that group, while captain Victor Hedman and left winger Nick Paul are signed through 2028-29. Superstar right winger Nikita Kucherov still has two seasons left on his contract, while goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy has three years left.
Advertisement
Tampa Bay appears to have the parts in place to continue to strive for the Stanley Cup championship. Now, they just have to execute on that.
'The culture is the same culture that we had when we won,' Gourde said.
Jonathan Tovell contributed to this report.
Get the latest news and trending stories by following The Hockey News on Google News and by subscribing to The Hockey News newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
10 minutes ago
- Yahoo
In the news today: AG report on company behind ArriveCan out today
In the news today: AG report on company behind ArriveCan out today Here is a roundup of stories from The Canadian Press designed to bring you up to speed... AG report on company behind ArriveCan out today The latest probe into the company behind the controversial ArriveCan app is among four reports being released today by Canada's auditor general. Karen Hogan looked into all contracts awarded and payments made to GC Strategies for its work on the app to determine whether they were in line with government policy and whether the government got value for taxpayers' money. In September, the House of Commons unanimously agreed to ask Hogan to look into the contracts and her report is set to be tabled in the House around 10 a.m. ET. ADVERTISEMENT As of March 2024, GC Strategies — a two-man team which last week was banned from entering into contracts or real property agreements with the federal government for seven years — had received $100 million in federal government contracts since 2011. Hogan's previous report on the app's development found it did not deliver the best value to taxpayers and concluded that three federal departments disregarded federal policies, controls and transparency in the contracting process. Here's what else we're watching... Panthers rout Oilers 6-1, lead Cup final 2-1 Taking advantage of the Edmonton Oilers' worst performance in several weeks, the defending Florida Panthers pounced on mistakes to win 6-1 in a rout Monday and take a 2-1 series lead in the Stanley Cup final. Brad Marchand became the oldest player to score in each of the first three games of a final, while Sam Bennett added his NHL playoff-leading 14th goal after making a big hit on Edmonton's Vasily Podkolzin that contributed to the turnover to spring him on a breakaway. ADVERTISEMENT Marchand and Bennett have combined to score eight goals for Florida, which was dominant in just about every way. And it was not just Bennett and Marchand. Carter Verhaeghe and Sam Reinhart each got his first goal of the series, Aaron Ekblad scored to chase Skinner, and Evan Rodrigues added the exclamation point in the waning minutes. At the other end of the ice, Sergei Bobrovsky earned the 'Bobby! Bobby!' chants from a fired up Florida crowd. The two-time Vezina Trophy-winning goaltender known as 'Bob' was on his game for the very few quality chances the discombobulated Oilers mustered, making 32 saves. Australia sends help to battle Canadian wildfires As wildfires continue to burn from northwest Ontario to British Columbia, Canada is getting help from near and far, and very far. Southern Highlands - New South Wales Rural Fire Service in Australia says a 96-personnel-strong Australian contingent of firefighters and specialists have deployed to Canada for five weeks. ADVERTISEMENT The service says the deployment is in response to a request from the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says in a tweet that, "When our mates need help, Australia is there." A post on social media platform X from the official account for the Australian High Commissioner to Canada, Kate Logan, says the crews "are on their way to support their Canadian colleagues battle wildfires in Alberta." Submissions continue at hockey players' trial Defence lawyers for five former members of Canada's world junior hockey team are set to continue their final submissions to the judge presiding over the players' sexual assault trial today. Court heard submissions Monday for lawyers representing Michael McLeod and Carter Hart, and counsel for the remaining three accused will get a turn before prosecutors present their submissions. ADVERTISEMENT McLeod's lawyer, David Humphrey, argued the complainant has presented an "entirely unbelievable and unreliable" version of the events at the heart of the trial. McLeod, Hart and their former teammates Alex Formenton, Dillon Dube and Callan Foote have pleaded not guilty to sexual assault. The charges relate to an encounter with a woman in a London, Ont., hotel room in June 2018, at a time when many of the team's members were in town for events celebrating their championship win. Cleanup rules hurting Alberta renewables: report A report says new cleanup rules for renewable energy sites are hurting the competitiveness of Alberta's industry. Business Renewables Centre-Canada analyzed the reclamation security requirements for renewables in 27 jurisdictions and found Alberta's are now the most costly. Under a code of practice for solar and wind projects published last week, the Alberta government says operators must provide an estimate for the cost of dismantling turbines and panels, removing underground concrete infrastructure, hauling waste away, replanting vegetation and other items. A 30-per-cent security is required upfront, rising to 60 per cent after 15 years to ensure there is enough money for proper cleanup at the sites' end of life. BRC-Canada says Alberta's upfront security requirement is unusually high and the rules don't take into account the salvage value of the concrete and metals that could be sold to recoup cleanup expenses. This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 10, 2025. The Canadian Press
Hamilton Spectator
12 minutes ago
- Hamilton Spectator
Edmonton Oilers superfans cross ocean, paint body in blue and orange to watch games
EDMONTON - When an orange wave of Oilers fans in Edmonton head toward the downtown core on game nights during the NHL playoffs, an ocean away in Akureyri, Iceland, Pavel Viking Landa says he makes his own way to his man cave in the dead of night. The extreme Oilers fan says he can't stop himself from turning on his TV in the room, where hockey jerseys hang on the wall, and watching the games, even if it goes until 4 a.m. his time. 'My family don't like it, I watch deep in the night because I'm waking them up by screaming, 'Let's go,'' said the 42-year-old in an interview from the Nordic island. 'My partner thinks I'm stupid. I'm just normal, happy guy.' Landa was in Edmonton last week to watch the Oilers take on the Florida Panthers in Games 1 and 2 of the Stanley Cup final. 'I thought for a little while I'm going to lose my hearing because of fans cheering,' he said. 'It was unbelievable.' But he has since returned to his home to watch the remainder of the series in Iceland, with the next game scheduled for Wednesday in Sunrise, Fla. Landa said he has been making the two-day journey from Iceland to Edmonton every year to watch the Oilers play since 2015. Landa, who works in construction, said that's the year he fell in love with the team. 'I met a Canadian guy from Edmonton in a bar here. We started chatting. Life is funny,' said Landa. 'He said, 'You should come' ... and within two months I was in Edmonton first time for hockey.' He said he went directly from the airport to the former Edmonton Oilers arena known as Rexall Place to watch the Oilers, including his favourite player at the time, Ales Hemsky, take on the Vancouver Canucks 'It's a really nice memory and, I think the Oilers won 5-4 then,' he said. However, Landa said it's not the win that has kept him coming back to Edmonton every year. It's the fans. 'It really surprised me how (fans) get really, really loud. I got goosebumps,' he said about the 2015 game. 'The general atmosphere, the general feeling on the streets, everybody's happy. Everybody's high-fiving.' He said Oilers fans are unlike others. 'I went to a couple of games outside of Canada. I don't think they go to the hockey games for hockey. They think it's like, 'Ah, I have a date. I go to cinema, or hockey,'' Landa said. 'In Edmonton, you can see that the people are interested in the game.' He said the only year he didn't visit Edmonton was last year. And that's because it was easier to go to Florida and watch Game 7 of the NHL final that saw the Oilers fall one game short of a comeback for the ages. After winning three games in a row to tie the final series, the Oilers dropped the deciding Game 7 to the Panthers by a score of 2-1. 'I'm not ashamed of it. I shed tears,' Landa said. 'I was really sad, but not angry. I was sad because it was set up to be a really good story.' He said he believes the Canadian team will win the Cup in Game 5. Landa isn't the only one who goes on long journeys to watch the Oilers. Kevin Follett, a 49-year-old heavy equipment operator from Fort McMurray, Alta., says since last year, he has been driving 430 kilometres south to catch every playoff game in Edmonton. 'I love hockey in general and now that we've got the two best superstars in the world, how can you not come down here and miss this?' he said, referring to Oilers captain Connor McDavid and forward Leon Draisaitl. 'You've got to be part of it. This is history.' But before he gets to the game, he spends two hours getting ready. His wife paints him in blue and orange, and puts a wig on him as he predrinks. 'My (daughters) like it when I get dressed up,' he said. 'I get too excited. I'm not shy.' He also carries a five-gallon pail resembling the Stanley Cup at the games. He said he made 20 of them by stacking a bowl on top of a trash can and sold them to crazy fans at Edmonton's Moss Pit in the city's Ice District. Among the people seen regularly leading cheers at the Pit with Follett is William Blaise. The 19-year-old also paints himself in orange and blue before every game. He also wears a hard hat and overalls. 'We paint up every single game to look like oil rig workers. Alberta is known for oil,' Blaise said. 'I love the Oilers because this is oil country. We work hard and we play hard.' This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 10, 2025.
Hamilton Spectator
2 hours ago
- Hamilton Spectator
‘Not our best': Undisciplined Oilers thumped 6-1 by Panthers in ugly Game 3
SUNRISE - Ryan Nugent-Hopkins had the puck with Sergei Bobrovsky at his mercy. The Oilers forward — an injury question mark coming into Game 3 of the Stanley Cup final — fired high and wide of the Panthers' goal with his team enjoying an early power play. It was about as good as things would get for Edmonton on an ugly Monday night that saw Florida dominate in picking up a resounding 6-1 victory to grab a 2-1 lead in the NHL title series. 'Not our best,' Oilers captain Connor McDavid said of his team's performance. 'I don't think our best has shown up all series long, but it's coming.' It better happen quick. A knife-edged matchup through 8 1/2 periods — a 4-3 Edmonton overtime victory and a 5-4 Florida triumph in double OT — didn't follow the same pattern after shifting from Alberta's capital to Sunrise's stifling heat. 'We didn't play very well, that's evident,' said Oilers winger Evander Kane, who took a pair of penalties in the first period. 'We have nobody to blame but ourselves.' Brad Marchand scored 56 seconds after puck drop to send Amerant Bank Arena into an early frenzy before that man-advantage chance where Nugent-Hopkins ripped that puck off the glass. The Oilers were undisciplined from there with three minor penalties in the offensive zone and another for too many men on the ice before the first intermission. The Panthers finally made the visitors pay when Carter Verhaeghe went bar down on Stuart Skinner. Corey Perry cut the deficit in half 100 seconds into the middle period on a power play as Edmonton briefly showed signs of life, but a turnover by Oilers defenceman John Klingberg led to Sam Reinhart making it 3-1. Sam Bennett then crushed Edmonton winger Vasily Podkolzin to create a turnover that led to his own breakaway goal before Aaron Ekblad and Evan Rodrigues rounded out the scoring on man advantages in the third. The Oilers played into the Panthers' hands all night, coming unhinged with scuffles after the whistle — something they had largely avoided through two games. Florida, which defeated Edmonton in seven to capture the franchise's first championship 12 months ago, showed again why its roster is littered with players adept at straddling or crossing the officiating line. And, from the Oilers' perspective, the calls have been tilted in the Panthers' favour. 'They seem to get away with it more than we do,' Kane said of the gamesmanship. 'It's tough to find the line. They're doing just as much stuff as we are … there seems to be a little bit more attention on our group.' Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch, whose team felt there should have been a too-many-men penalty on Florida in extra time of Game 2, had a biting take on the refereeing so far in the series. '(Wes McCauley and Francis Charron) did an outstanding job,' he said of Monday's officiating crew. 'They even caught the too-many-men penalty in the first period, which was too many men. 'They caught us there. I just wish they had been calling the game in Game 2 in overtime.' Skinner said it won't be difficult to flush the result. 'It's one game,' the netminder said after getting the hook following Florida's fifth goal on 23 shots. 'They could've beat us 12-0 and it's the same result. It's still just 2-1 (in the series). 'It might feel a little bit harder just because we weren't in the game, but it doesn't change how we're going to respond.' Both teams pivoted to message-sending mode in the third period, including a long fight between Edmonton defenceman Darnell Nurse and Florida forward Jonah Gadjovich. 'Boys being boys,' Knoblauch said. 'Just trying to make investments for the next game.' McDavid said his group can, if necessary, match the Panthers' physical style moving forward. 'We feel like we can play any game,' he said. 'When the game's out of hand, you're going to see that stuff.' Edmonton now has 48 hours to regroup before Game 4 on Thursday. 'You go back home at 2-2 or down 3-1 … it's a big swing,' said McDavid, whose team will host Game 5 on Saturday. 'It's a pivotal game. There's no doubt about it.' The Oilers will need a lot more — offence, discipline and composure — in a contest that could go a long way in determining if their Cup script is any different this time around. This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 9, 2025.
