When the injury bug bit and the Tampa Bay Lightning needed someone from the Syracuse Crunch pipeline to fill a role on the blue line one month into the season, Declan Carlile was given an opportunity.
The 25-year-old defenseman never looked back, earning his first extended season in the NHL which included 42 games, his second career NHL goal and a pair of assists. His 51 hits were the sixth-most of any Lightning defenseman despite playing in half of the team’s games.
Now he gets another opportunity—Carlile will draw into the Lightning lineup on Tuesday, making his Stanley Cup Playoffs debut in Game 2 of a First Round matchup against the Montreal Canadiens.
“I'm excited. I mean, it's tough not to know what's at stake. Everyone wants to play in the playoffs, so I’m excited,” he said.
Carlile was named an alternate captain for Tampa Bay’s American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Crunch, at the beginning of the 2025-26 season and has spent time with the team in each of the previous five seasons. He first joined the organization to wrap up the 2021-22 AHL season with the Crunch after finishing his NCAA season at Merrimack College.
Despite being undrafted, Carllie never wavered in his desire and work to reach the NHL.
“That’s kind of something I’ve done my whole life. (I was) undrafted for a while, I didn't really know what was gonna happen after college. So I think it was just taking every day, being grateful for every day that I'm here and kind of just trusting myself and knowing that my game would get me here.”
His play did just that, allowing him to make his regular season NHL debut in January 2024. He then scored his first NHL goal on Dec. 14 the following season against the Seattle Kraken.
His game has continued to grow. Tampa Bay Lightning head coach Jon Cooper credited Carlile for his competitive nature while also giving a nod to another Syracuse Crunch product in Bolts defenseman Max Crozier.
“He's the classic case of a kid that (was) unheralded, not too many people knew about, and he just worked and worked and worked,” Cooper said of Carlile on Tuesday morning.
“I’ve watched draft picks and people come in and guys get deflated, and maybe the call-up doesn't come or they don't like the league they're in. But then there's some kids that come in and say, ‘Screw it, I'm just gonna do whatever it takes, and I'm gonna work my tail off ’til somebody notices me. And if my career ends and nobody notices me, I know I can look in the mirror and say I did my best.’ And that's what this kid's done, and he's been noticed.”
Carlile was paired with Emil Lilleberg during practice on Monday, and the duo spent time playing together—as well as with other partners in an injury-riddled year—during the regular season.
“He's a good player,” Carlile said of Lilleberg. “He reads the play well. I think we have similar styles, so I think we should be good.”
Those playing styles Carlile referred to include plenty of physicality, which they can be expected to bring to Game 2 on Tuesday. Carlile previously fought Montreal forward Josh Anderson in the final regular season game between the teams on April 9 on his way to a career-high 17 penalty minutes.
“It’s the playoffs. It’s gonna be tough, it’s gonna be fast,” Carlile said. “I think that's just part of my game. I try to bring it every night. Obviously it's the playoffs now, so I'll be bringing that again tonight, but we'll see what happens.”
Carlile’s father, Kevin, was aiming to get to Tampa in time to see his son’s first showing in the Stanley Cup Playoffs on Tuesday. He will be among the many people eager to see No. 67 in his Stanley Cup Playoffs debut.
“Decs has been a great guy,” said forward Scott Sabourin, who is also aiming for his Stanley Cup Playoffs debut.
“We were in Syracuse together, and then we came up here together, and it's been a really fun ride. He's a really hard worker, he's a good pro, and he's got some skill to him too, so I'm excited to see him get thrown into the lineup. I'm excited to see the energy he's gonna provide tonight, and I'm really happy for him.”
