TAMPA BAY – The Tampa Bay Lightning have signed defenseman Max Crozier to a three-year contract worth an AAV of $775,000, vice president and general manager Julien BriseBois announced today. Crozier will be on a two-way contract for the 2025-26 season before the deal converts to a one-way contract for the remaining two years.
Crozier, 25, skated in 52 games with the Syracuse Crunch of the American Hockey League in 2024-25, recording a career-high nine goals and 34 points with a plus-16 rating and four game-winning tallies. He led all Syracuse defensemen for goals, game-winning goals, plus/minus and shots (129) while ranking second for points, assists (25) and power-play goals (3) during the regular season. The Calgary, Alberta, native also played in three Calder Cup Playoff games with the Crunch, firing 13 shots on goal and recording two penalty minutes. In total, he has skated in 110 career games with Syracuse, recording 13 goals and 58 points with 124 penalty minutes and five goals on the power play.
Crozier appeared in five contests with the Lightning in 2024-25, logging 11 hits and six blocked shots while averaging 16:41 of time on ice. He made his NHL debut with Tampa Bay during the 2023-24 campaign, skating in 13 games and recording his first career point, an assist, January 23 at Philadelphia. The 6-foot-3, 198-pound defenseman went on to make his Stanley Cup Playoffs debut three months later, playing in three postseason contests with the Bolts and recording five hits with two blocked shots and four shots on goal.
Crozier was originally drafted by Tampa Bay in the fourth round, 120th overall, of the 2019 NHL Draft.
