2008–09 Tampa Bay Lightning season

NHLTeamSeason
Season=2008–09
Team=Tampa Bay Lightning
Conference=Eastern
ConferenceRank=TBD
Division=Southeast
DivisionRank=TBD
Record= 0-2-0
HomeRecord= 0-1-0
RoadRecord= 0-1-0
GoalsFor= 2
GoalsAgainst= 4
GeneralManager= TBD
Coach= Barry Melrose
Captain= Vincent Lecavalier
AltCaptain= Martin St. Louis
Andrej Meszaros
Arena= St. Pete Times Forum
Attendance= TBD
GoalsLeader= Martin St. Louis (1)
Adam Hall (1)
AssistsLeader= Vincent Lecavalier (1)
Andrej Meszaros (1)

Chris Gratton (1)
PointsLeader= Martin St. Louis (1)
Vincent Lecavalier (1)

Adam Hall (1)

Andrej Meszaros (1)

Chris Gratton (1)
PlusMinusLeader= Matt Carle (+2)
PIMLeader= Ryan Malone (11)
WinsLeader= TBD
GAALeader= TBD

The 2008–09 Tampa Bay Lightning season is the 17th season for the franchise in Tampa Bay.

Offseason

On June 3, it was announced that head coach John Tortorella would not return to the team despite having another year left on his contract. [ [http://lightning.nhl.com/team/app?articleid=365138&page=NewsPage&service=page Lightning Head Coach John Tortorella Will Not Return For 2008-09] ]

The NHL board of governors on Wednesday, June 18, approved the sale of the Tampa Bay Lightning. The sale of the Tampa Bay Lightning was made to movie and television producer Oren Koules. The deal is pending the closing of the financial deal of $200 million US to buy the team and lease the St. Pete Times Forum. Koules, 47, played in Medicine Hat and Calgary in the Western Hockey League in the early 1980s. In more recent years, he achieved success with the Saw movie franchise and the television sitcom Two and a Half Men. Among his business partners in the Lightning deal is former NHL player Len Barrie. [ [http://www.cbc.ca/sports/hockey/story/2008/06/18/nhl-sales.html Oilers sale to Daryl Katz approved by NHL ] ]

On June 24, the Lightning announced that Barry Melrose was hired as the team's new head coach. Melrose had not coached in the NHL since 1995, with the Los Angeles Kings. Since that time, he had served as an analyst for the ESPN networks. [ [http://lightning.nhl.com/team/app?articleid=366855&page=NewsPage&service=page Barry Melrose Named Head Coach of Tampa Bay Lightning] ]

Goaltender Marc Denis's contract was bought out by the Lightning on June 25, almost 2 years to the date after his aquisition from the Columbus Blue Jackets. Denis had one year remaining on his contract. [ [http://lightning.nhl.com/team/app/?service=page&page=NewsPage&articleid=366943 Lightning Buy Out Contract of Goaltender Marc Denis] ]

The Lightning acquired the rights to left wings Ryan Malone and Gary Roberts from the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for a conditional draft pick in 2009. [ [http://lightning.nhl.com/team/app/?service=page&page=NewsPage&articleid=367169 Lightning Acquire Rights To Ryan Malone, Gary Roberts] ] Malone then agreed to a 7-year contract with the Lightning two days before he was scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent.Fact|date=June 2008

The Lightning acquired the rights to right wing Brian Rolston from the Minnesota Wild in exchange for a conditional draft pick in 2009 or 2010. Rolston would later sign with the New Jersey Devils.

On August 29, the Lightning acquired defenceman Andrej Meszaros from the Ottawa Senators in exchange for defencemen Filip Kuba, as well as Alexandre Picard, and a first-round pick in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft (obtained in an earlier deal with the San Jose Sharks). The Lightning would go on to sign Meszaros to a 6-year contract worth $24-million.

On September 18, the Lightning announced that their new team captain would be Vincent Lecavalier.

Pre-season

The Tampa Bay Lightning will be playing five preseason games before opening the season against the NY Rangers on October 4th in Prague. Of special note, this is the first time that Tampa Bay will be opening the season outside of North America. This will also be the first time that the Lightning will play a preseason game outside North America, playing Eisbaren Berlin in Germany on September 28th. It was announced later that the Lightning would also play against HC Slovan Bratislava of the Slovak Extraliga on September 30th.