Gourde injecting energy into Lightning since reunion, seeks 3rd Cup championship

Yanni Gourde quietly wanted another chance with the Tampa Bay Lightning, another opportunity to chase the Stanley Cup with the team that gave him his first look in the NHL and made him a two-time Stanley Cup champion.

"I was always hoping," Gourde told NHL.com. "In the back of my mind, I always thought that there could be a possible reunion with the Lightning."

It happened March 5, when the Lightning acquired Gourde in a three-team trade with the Detroit Red Wings and Seattle Kraken, who plucked him from Tampa Bay at the 2021 NHL Expansion Draft. Gourde played four seasons with the Kraken and was as big of a reason for the Lightning's back-to-back Stanley Cup championships in 2020 and 2021 as any depth player could be. He played on the third line with Barclay Goodrow and Blake Coleman and had 21 points (13 goals, eight assists), including four game-winning goals, while averaging 17:58 of ice time per game in 48 playoff games across those two Cup runs.

"'Gourdo' is a guy that is built for those moments," said Nashville Predators forward Steven Stamkos, Tampa Bay's former captain. "He's just a dog on a bone. That's the mentality he's had his whole life. I think he relishes being that guy that is counted on in different situations, especially come playoff time when the checking is that much tighter.

"The line that we had in Tampa there with him in the middle was probably one of the more effective third lines in the history of the NHL playoffs. He's a guy you can move up and down the lineup. Obviously, a tremendous penalty killer, but just a guy who can get under the skin of opponents and playoff hockey obviously is where he shines."

That's why Tampa Bay worked to bring Gourde back. He's 33 and the expectation is for him to play the same way he did in the 2020 and 2021 playoffs, starting with Game 1 of the Eastern Conference First Round against the Florida Panthers at Amalie Arena on Tuesday (8:30 p.m. ET; FDSNSUN, SCRIPPS, ESPN, TVAS2, SN360).

Gourde has been skating as the left wing on Tampa Bay's top line with center Brayden Point and right wing Nikita Kucherov, the leading scorer in the NHL this season with 121 points (37 goals, 84 assists). He's also at times been the center on the Lightning's third line in his 21 games since returning.

"It's the energy that he brings to our team," center Anthony Cirelli said. "You see him out there on every shift and he's working 120 percent. He's on pucks. He plays hard. He's physical. He gets to the net. He does all the dirty things you need to do in the playoffs. And he just elevates everyone's game.

"He's a great guy to be around. He's very positive in the room and on the bench. It's like he never left."

Gourde called his transition back to Tampa Bay "very smooth," largely because there are so many familiar faces. Point, Kucherov, Cirelli, defensemen Victor Hedman, Ryan McDonagh and Erik Cernak, and goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy all were part of the back-to-back championship teams.

The coaching staff is almost intact, with Jon Cooper and assistants Jeff Halpern and Rob Zettler still in Tampa Bay. Jeff Blashill, also a Lightning assistant, was working for the Red Wings at the time Tampa Bay won consecutive championships.

"A lot of familiar faces," Gourde said. "The transition back to the city with my family -- my wife's done a lot. It was definitely a lot of work in the first few weeks, but everything is settled now, so we're in a great spot and we've been enjoying our time back in Tampa."

But Gourde isn't exactly the same as he was when he left the Lightning nearly four years ago. He said his time in Seattle forced him to mature as a leader because he was part of the group tasked with creating an identity.

"I enjoyed trying to build a standard and culture in Seattle," he said. "Unfortunately we only made the playoffs one time, but I've grown as a player and a person. I took on a much bigger leadership role because there was room for leaders there. I enjoyed that. I've been like that for a long time in different ways, but it was more evident, I would say, in Seattle."

Cooper said he has noticed Gourde's leadership during games.

"I don't remember him talking as much as he does on the bench," Cooper said. "It's actually impressive. He's extremely vocal, which has brought us really good energy."

He carries the energy with him over the boards.

"He's an engine," Cooper said. "We have a couple of shifts maybe where we're not doing so well, you can put Yanni out there and he'll bring life to our game."

The Lightning have seen that since Gourde has been back. He had 14 points (one goal, 13 assists), he has played on the power play and penalty kill, and he throws his body around, hits and blocks some shots.

It has looked and felt like he never left. It's exactly why the Lightning got him back. It's exactly what they need from him during the playoffs.

"I wouldn't say I'm reenergized," Gourde said. "I feel like I try to bring the same energy every single day. I don't think I'm approaching this any differently, but it's very exciting. I'm very grateful for this opportunity to be a Bolt again."

NHL.com independent correspondents Corey Long and Robby Stanley contributed to this report