Lightning vs. Hurricanes Postponed by NHL amid Hurricane Milton Recovery Efforts

The Tampa Bay Lightning's Saturday home opener against the Carolina Hurricanes has been postponed due to the impact of Hurricane Milton.

A makeup date will be shared "as soon as it can be confirmed," according to the NHL.

The Lightning are scheduled to open the 2024-25 season on Friday against the Hurricanes on the road.

Tampa Bay also has home games scheduled for Tuesday and Thursday of the following week. It is not yet clear if those contests will be impacted by the storm.

Hurricane Milton, which made landfall on Wednesday, left millions of Florida residents without power fewer than two weeks after the devastation caused by Hurricane Helene.

Mandatory evacuation orders were issued to more than seven million Florida residents ahead of the hurricane, Terry Spencer and Kate Payne reported for the Associated Press.

Tampa International Airport was closed on Thursday after reporting damages to boarding bridges, debris on grounds and leaks inside the airport.

The storm also caused apparent flooding at Raymond James Stadium, home of the NFL's Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and severely damaged the roof at Tropicana Field, where the MLB's Tampa Bay Rays play in St. Petersburg.

It was not immediately clear if Amalie Arena, located on the opposite side of Tampa from the Buccaneers' home, suffered any damage in the storm. Angelina Salcedo of 11Alive News shared video of flooding in the streets near the arena.

Amalie Arena has additionally postponed multiple other events, including concerts originally scheduled to take place at the venue on Thursday and Friday.

The Lightning are currently scheduled to face the Vancouver Canucks and Vegas Golden Knights at home next week before embarking on a three-game road trip. The Minnesota Wild, Washington Capitals and Nashville Predators are then slated to visit Tampa Bay the week of Oct. 24.