Felix Robert drawing comparisons to Yanni Gourde at first Prospect Camp

The annual Prospect Showcase has served as a springboard for many young players in the Tampa Bay Lightning organization over the past several years. Current Bolts like Ross Colton, Erik Cernak and Cal Foote have all played in the event and demonstrated their talent before attending Training Camp with the big club and eventually earning a spot on the NHL roster.
Felix Robert is looking to be the next player to make the most of his opportunity over the three-game event. Robert signed a two-year, entry-level contract with Tampa Bay on July 13, 2022, after playing his first full season of professional hockey with the American Hockey League's Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins in 2021-22.

In 63 games with WBS, Robert picked up 34 points with 16 goals and 18 assists. His 16 goals were tied for the second-most on the team while his 34 points were the fourth-most among all Penguins skaters. Additionally, he was responsible and reliable on both ends of the ice, leading the team with a plus-19 rating on the year.
"It was a good year to get the pace down and kind of see what being a pro is like," said Robert. "I feel prepared and ready going into my second year.
"I learned a lot with the veteran players we had in Wilkes-Barre. It was a great experience, but I'm really happy to be here and I'm excited to show what I can do."

Robert brings a lot to the table with his skillset. A self-described rattlesnake, Robert played junior hockey with the Sherbrooke Phoenix of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League before making the jump to the AHL.
Over four seasons and 219 career games with the Phoenix, Robert recorded 216 points, scoring 81 goals and adding 135 assists. He was an alternate captain in each of his last two seasons and led the team in 2019-20 with 92 points (36G, 56A) in just 46 games, the third-most points in the QMJHL that season.
Robert's fingerprints are all over Sherbrooke's franchise record book. His 216 points and 81 goals are both the second-most in franchise history, while his 135 assists are third-most and his 29 power-play goals are tied for the franchise record.
There is one thing out of his control that Robert has to fight through to impress teams and that's his size. Lightning fans know a thing or two about undrafted, undersized players from Quebec, whether it's Martin St. Louis, Yanni Gourde or Jonathan Marchessault. Standing at 5-foot-8 and weighing 165 pounds, Robert makes up for his smaller stature by bringing an energy-packed game to the ice.
"He's a Bolt," said Lightning assistant general manager and director of player development Stacy Roest. "He works hard. He's quick. He's fast. He's smart. He competes. We liked him last year and we were fortunate enough to sign him this year.
"Small, quick, smart, competitive - which is a lot like Yanni (Gourde). Obviously, you don't want to compare him too much to anybody right now. Let him get through camp, see how he does in the rookie tournament and then see how he does in main camp."
The comparison to Gourde is one that Robert thought about himself before making the decision to sign with Tampa Bay over the summer. Robert has spent time training with Gourde in the offseason and sees some inspiration in the former Bolt's journey to the NHL.
"I've seen a lot of guys come through Tampa that play the way I try to play," Robert explained. "I've trained with Yanni Gourde over the summer. There was Jonathan Marchessault and some other guys like them that played with the Lightning. That gave me confidence to come here.
"I talked with Julien BriseBois before signing here and I'm just really happy with my decision so far. It was a big summer for me. I had a lot of discussions with a couple of teams. I just decided and had a gut feeling that coming here would be good for me."
In Tampa Bay's first game of the Prospect Showcase on Friday, Robert was all over the ice and consistently moving his feet. He was hard on the forecheck and played physical to win puck battles along the boards. He saw time on special teams, playing on both the power play and penalty kill, and got the Bolts on the board with a power-play goal during a short, 5-on-3 advantage.

"It's always nice to score," said Robert after Friday's loss to the Nashville Predators. "Next game, we want to win."
Robert was a player that stood out in the first game of the Showcase. Now, he'll look to bring another strong performance to the ice on Sunday when the Lightning battle the Panthers at 1 p.m. ET at PNC Arena. Between speed, strength and scoring, Robert worked on a multitude of things over the summer ahead of the biggest season of his career.
"I worked hard in a lot of areas this summer," Robert explained. "I worked a lot on my speed and tried to get a little more jump. I got a little bit stronger. I worked on my craft offensively.
"I want to show that I'm tough to play against and I can be a future player for the Tampa Bay Lightning. I'm just really excited to be here. I want to show this team that I'm a proven AHL player and I can take that next step to be a tool for the NHL team as well."
Following the Bolts contest against the Panthers on Sunday, Robert will get one more game at the Prospect Showcase to put his talent on display. Tampa Bay battles Carolina on Monday at 1 p.m. ET to wrap up the three-game Showcase.
After that, it's back to Tampa for the next challenge with the start of Training Camp on Wednesday.
"I'm excited to be here," said Robert. "It's a great organization and I'm ready to show what I can do."
Fans can stream the final two games at the Prospect Showcase live on TampaBayLightning.com on Sunday and Monday. Puck drop for both games is set for 1 p.m. ET.