Last season, Foote led Kelowna defensemen in goals (19), assists (51) and points (70), and had three assists in seven games to help Canada win a gold medal at the 2018 IIHF World Junior Championship.
"The staff at Kelowna does a great job, and I had some great teammates there," Foote said. "When I was in position to make things happen offensively, they got the puck to me."
Foote signed a three-year, entry-level contract with the Lightning on April 1 and made his professional debut five days later, scoring a goal on the first shot of his first shift with Syracuse of the American Hockey League.
"It was definitely a great feeling," Foote said. "For that to happen so early in my first game with Syracuse was pretty special.
"Just getting a taste of the AHL gave me an understanding how much faster the game is and how much more I need to work to play at the highest level. It was a great experience and something that I took into my training during the offseason."
Foote (6-foot-4, 212 pounds) says he has gotten a little heavier as a result of working on his strength, but his skating ability should help him blend in with some of the Lightning's top defensemen, including Victor Hedman and Mikhail Sergachev.
"Being a strong skater is so important, and when you look at the guys on the defense with the Lightning, they are all good skaters," Foote said. "Victor Hedman is one of the best skaters in the world, and he just won the Norris Trophy."