Now, more than four months later, Gourde has established himself in the NHL, earning top minutes and contributing to one of the most potent offenses in the NHL.
Gourde's 43 points are the fourth on the Lightning and he recently rolled off a streak of points in eight straight games.
"I'm just trying to do my job, to be honest," Gourde said. "I'm just out there playing hockey and trying to help my team win hockey games."
Gourde attributes a lot of this year's success his 20-game stint in the NHL last season, and the playoff run he had with the Crunch.
His solid play during Syracuse's regular season warranted a call-up to Tampa Bay where he put up six goals and two assists in 20 games down the stretch. Gourde then returned to Syracuse where he helped the Crunch go all the way to the Calder Cup Finals.
"Playing in the American Hockey League, I had a very good year and then when I got the call-up, I was ready to go," Gourde said. "Those 20 games really helped my confidence grow and it's just followed up to this year."