Built on Trust: Cirelli’s reliability helped him reach Lightning top 10

It was clear from the moment Anthony Cirelli arrived as a wide-eyed rookie in March of 2018 that the Tampa Bay Lightning had found a dependable NHL player.

Nine seasons, two Stanley Cups and nearly 600 games later, few players have embodied the Lightning identity more than Cirelli. His game on Thursday was the 589th of his career, tying Tyler Johnson to enter the top 10 all-time for games played as a Bolt.

“You’ve watched Tony Cirelli come in and go from trying to fight for a spot on this team to playing for his country. Would anybody have seen that in his career? I'm not so sure,” Lightning head coach Jon Cooper said of Cirelli’s evolution from prospect to key roster piece. 

“He's always been that ultra competitor, but there's been such a massive growth with him in his skating, the way he plays the game, and a lot of it's experience. He's just one of those guys that since the day he came in the league, he's never taken no for an answer. He's always worked and worked and worked, and I think he's got the admiration of people around the league for how he conducts himself.”

Cirelli made his presence felt immediately upon joining Tampa Bay, scoring 11 points in his first 18 NHL games. He quickly earned the trust of the Lightning coaching staff, and that only deepened during the team’s championship runs when he was regularly deployed in important situations at both 5-on-5 and the penalty kill.

Cirelli, now 29, has developed into one of the NHL’s most reliable shutdown players. The Lightning center finished last season as runner-up for the Frank J. Selke Trophy, given each year to the forward who best excels in the defensive aspects of the sport.

His plus-38 rating in plus-minus last season was fourth-best among NHL forwards and ranked ninth across all players.

He is frequently tasked with matchups against the league’s top playmakers while also leading all Lightning forwards in penalty kill work over the past decade. In recent years that work has been alongside Brandon Hagel, who said Cirelli is one of the best all-around players in the NHL.

Hagel thinks Cirelli is still underrated.

“Obviously scoring goals is nice, but being on the PK, the power play, 6-on-5 and 5-on-6 pretty much explains everything. He does it all,” Hagel said. “He's up there in the Selke voting every single year, and he probably should have one. He's been doing it for so long but his numbers just keep going up, and he just keeps getting better as a player.”

The organization’s trust in Cirelli was evident in its first of two consecutive Stanley Cup victories, when he averaged more than 20 minutes of ice time and scored nine points in 25 games during the 2020 postseason. Cirelli’s overtime winner in Game 6 of the 2020 Eastern Conference Final against the Islanders opened the door to back-to-back championships.

“You scored a goal to go to the Stanley Cup Final, so it's pretty special, and that group was just so special, too and we were playing for each other,” Cirelli said. “At that moment it was kind of a blur. The puck goes in, and you just start celebrating with the guys. It’s an unbelievable memory.” 

The goal was among the most memorable moments of Cirelli’s career, but the opportunity demonstrated the faith he’d earned from the coaching staff. His game has continued to grow since then, too.

Cirelli hit the 20-goal mark for the first time during the 2023-24 season and has now eclipsed the mark in three consecutive seasons. He’s surpassed the 50-point mark in back-to-back years.

He’s also chasing a top 10 offensive honor this season, as he needs 25 points to pass Vinny Prospal (371) for 10th on the team’s all-time scoring list.

“He’s got the offensive side,” Hagel said. 

“He respects the role he's in but he's come out of his shell, and he's putting up offensive numbers for a reason. He's comfortable trying new things and making plays. He's always had it, but he's always accepted his role. Now it's inevitable that he's going to score 20, 25 goals a year and be one of the best defensive forwards in the entire league. When you have a guy that's that good defensively and can put up those numbers, it just makes a player and your team that much better.”

While the offense has begun to flow more frequently for No. 71, his defensive responsibility remains his driving force. Cirelli became the first player in franchise history to be named a finalist for the Frank J. Selke Trophy following his 2024-25 season, the same year he set career highs across the board on offense with a 27-goal, 59-point season.

Nearly 600 games after his arrival as a young player pushing for an NHL job, Cirelli has developed into one of the team’s most dependable and accomplished players. 

Cirelli has earned the trust of his teammates and coaches along the way in what’s become one of the longest tenures in Lightning history, and he’s enjoyed every moment.

“It means everything to me,” Cirelli said of being a Bolt. “From my first day drafted here and not really knowing about Tampa as a city or a hockey town or the organization to getting here and making so many memories here, I couldn't be happier how it turned out. Obviously winning the cups are the two biggest moments, and I’m going to continue here trying to get another one. This organization has been unbelievable to me and my family. It's crazy how fast it goes by.”