TAMPA, Fla. — The Tampa Bay Lightning won their hurricane-delayed home opener over the Vancouver Canucks but the impact of two recent major hurricanes overshadowed it.
“This is different,” Lightning coach Jon Cooper said. “We’ve kind of been in this position before a few years ago but not quite like this. There’s disarray everywhere. There’s many people still in hotels, including myself. It’s been really tough to see how people are negatively affected.”There was a standing ovation late in the second period and it wasn’t for any of the Tampa Bay players. It was for a group of power company workers from Vancouver who are assisting in recovery efforts.
A food drive and other activities took place outside Amalie Arena before the Lightning’s 4-1 win Tuesday night over the Canucks. The Lightning Foundation pledged an additional $1 million toward relief to its $2 million original commitment and recovery efforts.