By The Tampa Bay Lightning offseason is officially underway. While most people think about beaches and vacations, NHL players think about the next season. They train and sharpen their skills on and off the ice. They build strength and prepare for another long NHL campaign. In 2026-2027, fans and athletes will see 84 games per club.
This Tampa Bay Lightning offseason has already produced several interesting storylines. Nikita Kucherov returned to his familiar summer routine in Brandon, FL. New Lightning forward Ilya Mikheev chose to skate in Miami instead. Former Lightning defenseman Mikhail Sergachev took the ice with Florida Panthers veterans in Fort Lauderdale. Those aren’t the combinations fans expect to see in early August.
The Tampa Bay Lightning Offseason Starts with Kucherov
As we reported previously, the Lightning practice facility has become a busy place again. Local NHL players continue to use it as they prepare for the season.
One thing never seems to change.
Nikita Kucherov remains one of the most consistent attendees. Every summer, he quietly gets back to work in Tampa. It’s part of his routine, and Lightning fans have come to expect it.
Sergachev Creates an Unusual Florida Reunion
Mikhail Sergachev took a completely different route.
The former Lightning defenseman and fan favorite organized and participated in the MATCH GODA charity game in Russia. After that, he traveled to South Florida. Today, the Utah Mammoth defenseman trains at the Florida Panthers’ practice facility in Fort Lauderdale.
That’s not something you see every day.
Sergachev shares the ice with Panthers veterans Dmitry Kulikov, Aaron Ekblad, and Carter Verhaeghe.
The connections don’t stop there.
Both Sergachev and Verhaeghe won the Stanley Cup with the Lightning in 2020. Verhaeghe later added two more championships after joining Florida.
A Tale of Two Practice Facilities
The Panthers’ practice facility also stands out for another reason.
It’s modern and well maintained. Fans enjoy clear sightlines and can watch every drill from comfortable seating. Every detail of practice is easy to see.
The experience looks very different in Tampa.
Lightning fans don’t have enough seating to watch open practices comfortably. The glass also isn’t kept in the “crystal clear” condition, making it difficult to follow the action.
That naturally raises another question: When will the Lightning get a new practice facility?
TGH Ice Plex opened in 1997. It has served the organization for nearly three decades, but many areas now feel outdated. AdventHealth Center Ice in Wesley Chapel offers a newer and larger rink, and NHL teams occasionally skate there. Still, it isn’t the Lightning’s full-time practice home.
In many ways, the organization is going through changes on several fronts. The practice facility could use an upgrade. At the same time, some NHL players who spend their summers in Florida now choose other rinks instead of skating at the Lightning’s home facility.
That’s why seeing Mikhail Sergachev in Fort Lauderdale felt bittersweet.
Many Lightning fans still have a strong connection with the former Bolts’ defenseman. Seeing him skate in Panthers territory instead of Tampa served as another reminder that he has moved on. His absence is still noticeable on the ice.
As the Tampa Bay Lightning offseason moves closer to training camp, one thing remains stable: Tampa’s blueline faces more questions than ever after the departures of Sergachev and Darren Raddysh.
Florida continues to deliver unexpected hockey stories every summer.
This year gave us Kucherov’s familiar routine, Mikheev’s decision to train in Miami, and Sergachev sharing the ice with Panthers veterans. Only in Florida can one offseason produce so many storylines before Opening Night even arrives.
The Lightning will host the Washington Capitals on October 3.
