Lightning’s Yanni Gourde out until December; Dominic James to also miss time

The Tampa Bay Lightning will be down a couple forwards to start the season.

According to Lightning general manager Julien BriseBois, center Yanni Gourde will be out until December while recovering from offseason hip surgery, and center Dominic James will miss the first few weeks of the season due to a broken hand he suffered during training.

Gourde, 34, put up nine goals and 19 assists for 28 points in all 82 regular season games last year, and then had no goals and an assist in Tampa Bay’s first-round playoff series against the Montreal Canadiens, which they lost in seven games.

The Saint-Narcisse, Quebec native is his second stint with the Lightning, having spent the first four-plus years of his career in Tampa Bay. He joined the Seattle Kraken after getting selected in the 2021 NHL Expansion Draft, but was reacquired by the Lightning at the 2025 trade deadlne. He is entering the second season of a six-year, $14 million contract with Tampa Bay.

James, 24, is coming off his rookie season in the NHL, in which he notched seven goals and eight assists for 15 points in 43 games. He then had two goals and an assists for three points in the Lightning’s seven-game playoff loss to Montreal. He missed about two months with a lower-body injury last season before returing in time for the playoffs.

The Plymouth, Michigan native was selected by the Chicago Blackhawks in the sixth round of the 2022 NHL Entry Draft. He did not sign with Chicago, however, and instead agreed to a two-year, entry-level deal with Tampa Bay after completing his four-year collegiate career with the University of Minnesota-Duluth.

The Lightning beging their preseason schedule on September 20 at home against the Nashville Predators. They’ll kick off their 2026-27 regular season on October 1 at the New York Rangers.