Tampa Bay Lightning forward Anthony Cirelli suffered an injury in Sunday’s NHL Stadium Series. The 28-year-old left the sport against the Boston Bruins in the primary period after a tough hit from Boston forward Mark Kastelic at center ice. Cirelli appeared shaken on the bench and didn’t return, ending the night with 6:25 of ice time, two shots on goal, and a plus-one rating.
While Tampa Bay head coach Jon Cooper didn’t provide a firm update after the sport, his comments suggested concern.
“It was form of a stinger,” said Cooper. “Cirelli’s a troublesome kid. For him not to come back back, clearly, there’s something mistaken with him. So hopefully he’ll be OK. There’s some big games coming up ahead for him.”
Cooper didn’t provide a definitive timeline for Cirelli’s recovery, leaving uncertainty around his availability for the team’s next two games against the Buffalo Sabres on Tuesday and the Florida Panthers on Thursday before the Olympic break.
Cirelli, who has been a consistent contributor this season, has recorded 35 points (15 goals and 20 assists) in 48 games, while maintaining a plus-29 rating. The Etobicoke, Ont., native is now in his ninth NHL season, with 139 profession goals and 188 assists over 559 regular-season games. He has also amassed 43 points (18 goals, 25 assists) in 108 profession playoff contests, helping the Lightning win Stanley Cup championships in 2021 and 2022.
The timing of the injury is especially concerning as Cirelli is slated to affix Team Canada for the 2026 Winter Olympics, which begin on February 12. Canada will open its Olympic campaign against Czechia. Cirelli’s absence could hurt Canada, especially with doubts surrounding Brad Marchand’s availability. Named to Canada’s Olympic roster in December, Cirelli adds helpful international experience, having won silver at each the 2017 World Junior Championships and the 2019 World Championships, and likewise competed in Canada’s 4 Nations Face-Off championship.
Sunday’s Stadium Series game itself was a rollercoaster. The Lightning rallied from 4 goals behind to take a 6-5 shootout win over the Bruins, completing the franchise’s first four-goal comeback in an outside game. Brandon Hagel scored just 11 seconds into the competition, while Morgan Geekie and Viktor Arvidsson helped Boston construct a 5-1 lead. Tampa Bay’s comeback featured historic moments, including the NHL’s first-ever outdoor goaltender fight between Andrei Vasilevskiy and Jeremy Swayman. With goals from Darren Raddysh, Nick Paul, and Nikita Kucherov tying things up, Jake Guentzel got here through to win it within the shootout.