Lightning’s Emil Lilleberg to have hearing for interference on Red Wings’ J.T. Compher

Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Emil Lilleberg will have a hearing with the NHL’s Department of Player Safety following an interference play Saturday with Detroit Red Wings left winger J.T. Compher.

The incident occurred midway through the second period, with Lilleberg penalized with a two-minute minor for interference.

Skating in his second season with the Lightning, Lilleberg has made 45 appearances in which he has recorded 11 assists with a team-leading 76 penalty minutes. The Norwegian-born blue-liner made his NHL debut with the Lightning last season, totaling 37 games in which he recorded five points and 16 penalty minutes alongside a minus-15 rating. The 23-year-old was originally chosen by the former Arizona Coyotes in the fourth round of the 2021 NHL Draft.

In July, the Lightning signed Lilleberg to a two-year extension that will begin at the start of the 2025-26 campaign.

For Compher, the veteran forward has made 48 appearances with the Red Wings this season in which he has tallied six goals and 15 assists for 21 points. Prior to joining the Red Wings a year ago, Compher spent seven seasons with the Colorado Avalanche, underscored by the 2021-22 season when he finished with 33 points counting 18 goals and 15 assists in 70 regular-season games before adding another eight points in 20 postseason appearances en route to a Stanley Cup win.

A 29-year-old native of Northbrook, Ill., Compher was originally chosen 35th overall by the Buffalo Sabres in the 2013 NHL Draft. Compher is in the second year of a five-year pact that carries a $5.1-million annual average value, per PuckPedia.

On the season, the Lightning sit 26-19-3 to hold down the first wildcard seed in the Eastern Conference with 55 points. Meanwhile, the Red Wings stand four points shy of the Lightning with a 23-21-5 record. The Red Wings continue to make a bid to qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time since 2016.