-written by Laci Bloomers

The Tampa Bay Lightning have locked down top spot in the Eastern Conference of the CMHL for the 2021-22 season, and with one game left in the regular season they will not have to wait long to find out which of four potential teams they will host in the opening round of the playoffs.

The Bolts staved off a challenge from the Toronto Maple Leafs, Detroit Red Wings and Washington Capitals to clinch the top seed in Game 81.

Sebastian Aho and Johnny Gaudreau showcased their talent to the Tampa Bay Lightning opponents during the 9th week of the CMHL season, and the rest of the league noticed!

After a solid season last year, the duo of Sebastian Aho and Johnny Gaudreau are providing the scoring Lightning fans have been waiting for!

With the first week of the CMHL season in the books, the biggest surprise to anybody thus far might just be the start of the season for the Tampa Bay Lightning.

For those of you who live in a cave, my name is Laci Bloomers.  I started my career  as a sports reporter for the Tampa Bay Lightning back in 2008, spending a decade as the organization's inside reporter before spending the next 3 years as an Agent for the league.  That ended this year when some front office guy decided that an automated system would be more entertaining than the group of Agents the league was using, so I have returned the Lightning once again.  Everybody knows if you want something done, hire a woman, and there are some things need to be done around these parts!

The CMHL Draft, unlike similar events in the NFL and NBA, is designed first and foremost to build organizations for the medium and long-term future, and not to fill immediate roster needs as the pro football and basketball drafts do.

That was the approach the two-time Stanley Cup (has a nice ring, doesn't it?) champion Tampa Bay Lightning took in the first two rounds of the 2012 Entry Draft.

The Tampa Bay Lightning begin defense of the Stanley Cup this season with arguably more depth than they had during their sun in S7.  The club did a terrific job managing to resign every Free Agent they wanted to, while replacing star blue-liner Brian Rafalski, who retired unexpectedly after the playoffs.

Rafalski was the leader for this club last season, breaking team records for a defenseman with 65 assists and 83 points.  Miikka Kipruspff was also phenominol as he won 58 regular season games and rolled to the Conn Smythe Trophy as the playoff MVP.

Kiprusoff will be looked upon to repeat something similar this coming season, especially come playoff time, if the Lightning expect to come anywhere near a repeat.

This year's club will have a lot of familiar faces, but some interesting additions could make them just as difficult to defeat as they were last season, when they won the Eastern Conference with a 60-16-6 record.

Meet your 2011 Tampa Bay Ligntning ... 

Fresh off a Stanley Cup victory, the offseason rebuilt began for the Tampa Bay Lightning.

The shocking retirement of blue-line ace Brian Rafaski left a huge hole on the back end, and a dozen free agents heading into the off-season left a bunch of question marks for the club.

HOW THE EAST WAS WON

Gunslingers are commonly thought of to be involved in the wild, wild, west.  This season, the east boasted a new gunslinger as the Tampa Bay Lightning posted their first Conference title.

While known stars like Brian Rafalski, Rick Nash and Miikka Kiprusoff get the credit for the great season the Tampa Bay Lightning are having this season, a young winger is having a break-out season with very little fanfare.