TAMPA BAY – The Tampa Bay Lightning today announced its roster and schedule for the 2026 Prospect Showcase, being held September 13-15 at Invisalign Arena in Morrisville, North Carolina. The Lightning will take on the prospect teams of the Carolina Hurricanes and Nashville Predators.
All teams will play each other once over the three-day tournament, which begins Sunday, September 13. Any skater or goaltender on an entry-level contract (or less), provided they are 24 or younger and have less than 20 games of NHL experience, are eligible to participate in the tournament (exceptions may be permitted with approval from all teams). Teams will dress 20 skaters and two goaltenders for each contest. Games are regulation length with three 20-minute periods. A five-minute, three-on-three overtime period will determine a winner if games are tied after regulation. Games will conclude with a five-player shootout regardless of the final score.
Tampa Bay’s roster contains several of the organization’s top prospects, including forward Sam O’Reilly, who was named the Ontario Hockey League’s Most Outstanding Player for the 2025-26 season. Also participating for the Bolts will be 2021 fourth-round pick Dylan Duke, who made his NHL debut with the Lightning during the 2024-25 season and scored his first career goal with his first shot in a 6-3 win at Detroit on February 8, 2025. Lucas Mercuri, who led the Syracuse Crunch in penalty minutes with 132 during the 2025-26 season, will also take part in the showcase. Additional participants include 2025 fourth-round pick Benjamin Rautiainen, 2026 second-round pick Oleg Kulebiakin and 2026 third-round pick Tomas Kralovic. The full Lightning roster for the 2026 Prospect Showcase can be found here.
All Lightning games will be broadcast live on the Lightning app.
