Lightning sign Cooper Flinton to entry-level contract

The Tampa Bay Lightning announced Monday that the club has signed left winger Cooper Flinton to a two-year, entry-level contract to begin in the 2025-26 season. As part of the agreement, Flinton will join the AHL affiliated Syracuse Crunch for the balance of the current campaign.

Through 32 appearances this season with the NCAA’s Dartmouth Big Green, Flinton notched 11 goals and 13 assists to finish fourth in team scoring with 24 points coupled with eight penalty minutes and a plus-five rating. In all, through three seasons with the Big Green, Flinton has totaled 32 goals and 32 assists for 64 points in 89 career contests.

Prior to committing to Dartmouth, Flinton spent a single season with the USHL’s Cedar Rapids RoughRiders where in 57 outings he registered 11 goals and 10 assists for 21 points alongside 65 penalty minutes and a minus-14 rating. Cooper then added another two penalty minutes and a minus-one mark in a pair of postseason appearances.

A 21-year-old native of Auburn, N.H., Flinton was originally chosen by the Lightning in the seventh round of the 2021 NHL Draft.

For the Lightning, on the season the club sits 40-25-5 and four points back of the state rival Florida Panthers for top spot in the Atlantic Division.

In the midst of a two-game losing streak following back-to-back losses to the Utah Hockey Club and Vegas Golden Knights, the Lightning will look to return to the win column when the club opens a three-game homestand Tuesday versus the Pittsburgh Penguins. The Lightning have won both prior contests against the Penguins this season including a 3-2 overtime decision in mid-November as well as a 5-2 road victory coming in mid-January.

The Lightning have qualified for the Stanley Cup Playoffs in seven straight seasons underscored by back-to-back championships in 2020 and 2021 plus a third consecutive trip to the Stanley Cup Final in 2022.