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Lightning Prospects Take the Ice Ahead of 2026 Prospect Showcase
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- Lightning Prospects Take the Ice Ahead of 2026 Prospect Showcase
The Lightning 's top young players are getting their first chance to make an impression this week as Tampa Bay heads to North Carolina for the 2026 Prospect Showcase.
The three-day tournament runs from September 13-15 at Invisalign Arena in Morrisville, North Carolina. Tampa Bay will face prospect teams from the Carolina Hurricanes and Nashville Predators , with each team playing two games during the showcase. The players will have two days of practice ahead of the tournament.
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Among the players taking part is Sam O'Reilly , Tampa Bay's first-round pick. The 20-year-old forward is coming off a standout season in the Ontario Hockey League, where he was named the league's Most Outstanding Player after helping lead the Kitchener Rangers to another deep playoff run.
O'Reilly was limited during Tampa Bay's development camp in July but is fully healthy heading into the new season.
"For the last year we've been working with him on some of the things he needs to work on. He's lucky enough to be in Toronto , so we have a lot of development staff there," said Lightning Director of Player Development J.P. Cote. "Every guy that comes to be a pro, we still want to give them some room and try to learn through the process. We gave him some guidance, but he's a tremendous hockey player so we're excited to see where he takes himself."
While O'Reilly will be one of the biggest names to watch, he's not the only Lightning prospect with something to prove this weekend.
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Benjamin Rautiainen just had one of the best seasons of his career with Tappara Tampere in Liiga, Finland's top professional league. Rautiainen helped Tappara capture the Liiga championship, recording seven points in 18 playoff games. He also assisted on the game-winning goal in Game 7 of the Final. This summer, Rautiainen's focus was on getting stronger as he prepares for the next step in his career.
"That's the physical part," said Rautiainen. "I think that's my biggest thing. I've been in the gym a lot."
Rautiainen is expected to return to Tappara if he does not make the Lightning's NHL roster out of training camp in October. Once his Liiga season concludes, he will have the opportunity to join Tampa Bay or the Syracuse Crunch for the remainder of the season.
For now, the prospect showcase gives Rautiainen and the rest of Tampa Bay's young players an early chance to show the organization how they've progressed over the summer.
And for players like O'Reilly, it's an opportunity to get back into competitive game action before the Lightning's veterans arrive for training camp.
