Tampa Bay Lightning postpone Sept. 27 preseason game against Predators due to Hurricane Helene

Due to Hurricane Helene’s widespread impact across the state of Florida, the Tampa Bay Lightning have postponed their preseason game against the Nashville Predators. The game was originally scheduled for Friday, Sept. 27, at Amalie Arena.

The game has been rescheduled to take place in Tampa on Monday, Oct. 7. Fans have been informed that tickets purchased for the game will be honored on the new date.

The two teams are still scheduled to hold another preseason game on Friday, Sept. 28, at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville.

It was set to be the Lightning’s third preseason game. They opened play this past Tuesday in a 2-1 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes. Both teams used many of their younger players and American Hockey League-bound talent. The following night, Tampa outlasted its in-state rivals, the Florida Panthers, in a wild 8-7 game that saw nine goals scored in the third period. Darren Raddysh led the Bolts with five points.

Each of the Predators’ first two games have come against the Panthers down in Sunrise on Sunday. Nashville lost both contests, falling 3-2 in the first game before losing 6-2 in the second.

The placement of the game isn’t necessarily ideal for the Predators, as their season opener is just three days after the rescheduled contest–a Thursday-night clash with the Dallas Stars. The Lightning will have four days off before they meet with the Hurricanes on Oct. 11.

The game between the Preds and Bolts is one of many sporting events that has been impacted by severe weather hitting the southeast region of the United States. In Major League Baseball, the conclusion of a critical playoff series between the Atlanta Braves and New York Mets has been moved to next Monday, with the teams playing a doubleheader the day before their postseason begins.

In college football, Florida State had to change its travel plans to Dallas in order to avoid the weather, while the University of Colorado arrived in Orlando earlier than planned. The Buffaloes game against Central Florida is still scheduled for 3:30 p.m. ET on Saturday.

Several MLS and NFL games are taking place in the region, but officials from both leagues expect their games to go on as scheduled.