Cirelli to make season debut vs. Toronto

"Tony's in tonight," said Lightning head coach Jon Cooper on Saturday morning.
For the first time in 160 days, Bolts fans will get the opportunity to see Anthony Cirelli in game action when he makes his season debut against the Toronto Maple Leafs tonight at AMALIE Arena.

Similar to Tampa Bay defenseman Zach Bogosian, Cirelli had offseason shoulder surgery after he had a shoulder/AC joint sprain in last year's Eastern Conference Final against the New York Rangers before dislocating his other shoulder in the Stanley Cup Final against the Colorado Avalanche.
Bogosian and Cirelli were able to spend a lot of time rehabbing together, which helped make the strenuous process a little bit easier for Cirelli.
"It was a huge help," said Cirelli. "Bogo's an awesome guy to be around, so he definitely helped. We were able to make it kind of fun.
"You never want anyone to be injured with you, but for him to be there was really great mentally and obviously with us pushing each other to get better in the gym and on the ice. It was really good."
Since being drafted by the Lightning in the third round of the 2015 NHL Draft, Cirelli has blossomed into a premiere two-way forward, as evidenced by his consistent performances shutting down opposing top lines throughout last year's Stanley Cup Playoffs.
"The one thing about Tony is he is energy [and] tenacious," said Cooper. "He brings so many of those other things to the table, so when work ethic is your number one asset, regardless of if you haven't played in a while, that's something you carry with you and that's a good trait to have."
Cirelli will certainly bring that work ethic and energy that Bolts fans have become familiar with. He has consistently been a force on the forecheck with his relentless effort and work down low. From the start of the 2019 season through the end of last year, no Lightning player has recorded more takeaways than Cirelli's 134. Victor Hedman is the only other player to have more than 100 with 111.
With Cirelli having surgery on his shoulder, he was able to skate throughout all of his rehab, which should help in terms of conditioning when he hits the ice Saturday night.
"Being on the ice every day obviously helps with the skating and conditioning aspect of it," Cirelli said. "Honestly working out in the gym and getting stronger has helped too.
"Obviously, it'll be a little hard to start," said Cirelli. "You can't really replicate a game in a practice. Hopefully I can use the first couple of shifts to get into it, but at the end of the day, it's just another hockey game."
One Tampa Bay player who knows a thing or two about returning from injury is obviously Steven Stamkos, who has managed to return from several serious injuries and continue to be an elite player in today's NHL.
"Tony is obviously a huge part of our team, but you have to manage the expectations as well," said Stamkos. "He hasn't played in a really long time and from someone who knows long layoffs, it takes you a while to get adjusted.
"Sometimes the first game is great because the adrenaline's pumping. It's the next couple that are tough, but we know what he means to our lineup. He's so vital in anything that he does, whether it's shutting down a line, special teams, five-on-five. He's an all-world player at both ends of the rink, so it'll be great to get him back in the lineup."
Stamkos is having a big night of his own on Saturday with a pregame ceremony taking place prior to puck drop to celebrate the captain's 1,000th career point that he recorded in Thursday's 4-1 win over the Flyers.
"It was certainly pretty amazing to share that moment last game with all my teammates and everyone," said Stamkos. "I've got a few more family members that'll be here traveling from Toronto today, so it'll be special.
"Too many to count probably. My parents are flying in today. They were planning on coming in before, so it worked out great. Obviously, my wife and boys will be at the game as well. A lot of ticket requests today, so trying to fill everyone's needs."
Stamkos is the only player in Lightning franchise history to record 1,000 career points with the team. In 2016, he had the option to enter free agency before signing a long-term deal with the Bolts in hopes of bringing a championship to Tampa.
Two Stanley Cups later with plenty of points along the way, Stamkos is proud to have recorded all 1,000 points with a single franchise, something only 47 other players in NHL history have done.
"I think it is important to me that I've done it with one franchise," said Stamkos. "I've tried to be loyal. It's a big word I use, and it's certainly worked out.
"I've seen some really tough times, but to be able to achieve your ultimate dream and sticking it out through some of those tough times, to me, it's just all worth it. I've been very fortunate to do that here."
It's not often you hear about numbers 1,000 and up when it comes to statistics in the NHL, but Corey Perry will celebrate a big milestone on Saturday night as he's set to skate in his 1,200th career game. He's the 122nd player in NHL history to hit that mark.