For one night, the Lightning provide a small respite from the storm

TAMPA — There were more empty seats than usual, and less Stamkos than you would prefer.

There was Lightning captain Victor Hedman punctuating player introductions by raising a Tampa Bay Strong flag aloft while his teammates tapped their sticks on the ice, and a collage of digital signs saluting neighborhoods from Westchase to Lealman. There were goosebumps during the national anthem and tears for a video covering the heartbreak and resilience of a community still standing after back-to-back hurricanes.

Mostly, there was a communion of struggles endured and triumphs yet to come.

The Lightning returned home Tuesday night, and a weary populace showed up at Amalie Arena to watch a 4-1 victory against Vancouver that veered from inconsequential to meaningful, and all points in between.

“You think about Whitney Houston singing the anthem at the Super Bowl after (the Gulf war). Those are the kind of iconic moments you remember,” Lightning coach Jon Cooper said. “I remember the Yankees playing in the World Series after 9/11. Sports have that ability.

“You can ask, ‘Should these events be canceled after what everybody went through?’ No. This takes everybody away from the bad that’s happened. To have events like this so soon, sometimes you might feel a little guilty, but it’s really for the best because there’s 20,000 people here and everybody watching at home really wanting a moment like this.”

An NHL home opener may be a once-a-year event, but this one arrived on the heels of a once-in-a-lifetime storm in Tampa Bay. Less than a week after Hurricane Milton wreaked havoc throughout the bay area — and three days after the Lightning postponed their regularly scheduled home opener — the 2023-24 hockey season in Tampa Bay was christened by a Nikita Kucherov goal 235 seconds after the puck was dropped.

That was all it took for the party to go into overdrive. For the rest of the night, this felt like a revival masquerading as a hockey game, and it was two-plus hours of backbone and bliss.

Almost lost in all the emotion was the realization that this was the Amalie debut of a new-look Lightning roster that is without bay area icon Steven Stamkos after 16 seasons in a Bolts jersey. Stamkos is skating in Nashville these days, and the Lightning are trying to reinvent themselves after two quick playoff exits.

The sample size is miniscule, but the results are more than encouraging. Between the season opener in Carolina on Friday night and Tuesday’s home opener, the Lightning are 2-0 and have outscored the opposition 8-2.

The defensive issues that torpedoed Tampa Bay last season have not completely disappeared, but they have been lessened. The Lightning outscored the Canucks 3-0 in 5-on-5 situations, and they’ve held opponents to an average of 24 shots on goal per game.

“I’m very happy with the way we came out,” said Hedman, who has assumed Stamkos’ role as captain. “And 5-on-5 was a lot better.”

Meanwhile, outside the arena, a table was set up for fans to donate nonperishable food items and baby necessities for those displaced by the storms. The Lightning Foundation originally pledged $2 million to relief efforts after Hurricane Helene and then upped the total to $3 million after Milton.

The team is also selling Tampa Bay Strong T-shirts, with proceeds going to the recovery.

Even after four Stanley Cup final appearances and two championships in the last decade, the start of a new season can be a soul-stirring experience. Player introductions are both a nod to the past, and a wish for the future.

The coach was afforded one of the loudest ovations of the night, smiling appreciatively as the crowd shouted, “Coop!”

“I’m pretty blessed to have had the same job in the same town for as long as I’ve had it, and I do look forward to that moment,” Cooper said. “I feel something from that, and it’s hard to explain. But there’s a genuine care for this team — and maybe for myself — that I can feel. I always look forward to that, to those introductions.

“Not just for me, but to listen to the roar when the captain comes out and the goalie comes out and when they’re all screaming “Kuch!” when (Nikita Kucherov) comes out. I never take that for granted.”

On this night, there was one more introduction to be made. For the past three weeks, a group of 45 power company workers from the Vancouver area have been in Tampa Bay, helping to restore electricity after Helene and Milton.

The Lightning provided the group with tickets to Tuesday’s game and featured them on the arena’s video screen late in the second period. Without any prompting, Lightning fans rose to their feet and thanked the crew with a rousing ovation.

It was spontaneous. It was heartfelt. It was uplifting.

It was why, even in the face of tragedy, sports still matter.

John Romano can be reached at jromano@tampabay.com. Follow @romano_tbtimes.

• • •

Sign up for the Sports Today newsletter to get daily updates on the Bucs, Rays, Lightning and college football across Florida.

Never miss out on the latest with your favorite Tampa Bay sports teams. Follow our coverage on Instagram, X and Facebook.