Brandon Halverson to make first career NHL start for Lightning in Utah

SALT LAKE CITY — Lightning goaltender Brandon Halverson will make his first NHL start tonight against the Utah Hockey Club, more than seven years after his first and previously only league appearance.

With the Lightning playing the first of back-to-back games, Halverson was summoned from AHL Syracuse Saturday morning after Jonas Johansson left the team’s three-game trip to attend to a family matter. Andrei Vasilevskiy will start Sunday at Vegas.

“Richly deserved, a long time coming for him,” Lightning coach Jon Cooper said of Halverson. “He’s really battled to get to this spot. J.J. has had a family matter he’s going to take care of, so he’s gone home for the rest of the road trip and Halvy will be with us.”

Tonight marks Halverson’s second stint with the Lightning after a breakout season in Syracuse. The 28-year-old previously dressed as Vasilevskiy’s backup in early February while Johansson dealt with a groin injury.

Halverson, a second-round draft pick of the Rangers in 2014, played 12:33 for New York in relief of Hendrik Lundqvist on Feb. 17, 2018.

After a winding journey that saw him out of pro hockey due to injuries, leaving him working on the Pepin family farm in Tampa, Halverson received an opportunity with an ECHL contract last season with Orlando.

Halverson dominated with the Solar Bears, earning a promotion to Syracuse, where he shined in the AHL playoffs. He became the Crunch’s No. 1 goaltender this season, unseating Matt Tomkins. He is 16-9-11 with a .913 save percentage and a 2.32 goals-against average.

• • •

Sign up for the Sports Today newsletter to get daily updates on the Bucs, Rays, Lightning and college football across Florida.

Never miss out on the latest with your favorite Tampa Bay sports teams. Follow our coverage on Instagram, X and Facebook.

Topics

Lightning not up to speed in their 1st game in Utah

SALT LAKE CITY — It didn’t take long for the Lightning to realize Saturday that their first game in Utah would be a challenge, as the Delta Center lived up to its billing as one of the loudest ...
Yahoo Sports - 22h
NHL Star Power Index: Nathan MacKinnon reaches 1,000 career points, Dylan Cozens starts hot start in Ottawa

Defenseman Brandon Montour also recently made history for the Kraken
CBS Sports - Mar. 14
Utah will be the first state to ban fluoride in drinking water

Utah's governor intends to sign legislation making the state the first to ban fluoride in public water systems
ABC News - Mar. 10
Utah will be the first state to ban fluoride in drinking water

Utah's governor intends to sign legislation making the state the first to ban fluoride in public water systems
ABC News - Mar. 10
Pulse upset champions Lightning for two wins from two

London Pulse make it two wins from two to start the new Netball Super League season with a 77-51 win over defending champions Loughborough Lightning.
Yahoo Sports - 7h
Utah Hockey Club's Projected Lineup vs. Tampa Bay Lightning

The Utah Hockey Club hosts the Tampa Bay Lightning tonight at the Delta Center at 3:00 P.M. MT/ 5:00 P.M. EST. Here are the projected lineups for Utah HC, please note these are subject to change.
Yahoo Sports - 1d
NHL playoff watch: Who will make the Eastern Conference finals?

The Hurricanes and Lightning both have good shots, and they face off Tuesday on ESPN+. Plus, updated playoff projections, draft lottery outlook, more.
ESPN - Mar. 11
Five Young NHL Players Proving Patience Pays Off

For some time, the effect of Connor McDavid and Auston Matthews dominating from the minute they started their career skewed the expectations of other top picks entering the NHL.
Yahoo Sports - Mar. 14
Eeli Tolvanen scores early, and again late, to lead Kraken to a 4-2 win over Utah

Eeli Tolvanen scored two goals, the first just 51 seconds into the game and the second into an empty net with 1:09 left, and the Seattle Kraken beat the Utah Hockey Club 4-2 on Friday night. ...
Yahoo Sports - Mar. 15
Colorado State's huge start over Utah State sends Rams to Mountain West title game

The Colorado State men's basketball team poured it on early and held on late to beat Utah State and make the Mountain West championship game.
Yahoo Sports - Mar. 15
Cooley and Kerfoot each score twice to lead Utah past Lightning 6-4

Logan Cooley had two goals and an assist and Alexander Kerfoot also scored twice to lead the Utah Hockey Club to a 6-4 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday. Josh Doan and Nick Schmaltz ...
Yahoo Sports - 1d
Indiana's Shay Ciezki makes a dream come true in Women's March Madness win vs. Utah

Indiana women's basketball guard Shay Ciezki put up 16 points to help lead the Hoosiers to a first-round NCAA Tournament win over Utah.
Yahoo Sports - 2d
UCLA vs. Utah State odds, March Madness predictions, start time: 2025 NCAA Tournament picks from proven model

The SportsLine Projection Model has revealed its Utah State vs. UCLA picks for the first round of the 2025 NCAA Tournament on Thursday
CBS Sports - 3d
Artyom Levshunov Earns First NHL Point; Blackhawks Lose 6-2

The vibes were high after the Chicago Blackhawks' big overtime win over the Utah Hockey Club on March 7th. They looked to take that momentum on the road for four games but they did no such thing.
Yahoo Sports - Mar. 16
NCAA tournament 2025: No. 12 McNeese State rides dominant first half past No. 5 Clemson as ACC gets off to 0-2 start in first round

McNeese State backup Brandon Murray outscored Clemson in the first half and the Cowboys held off a late Tigers rally for the win.
Yahoo Sports - 3d
A reunion with Brandon Staley makes sense for this free agent and the Saints

Asante Samuel Jr. was productive with Brandon Staley in Los Angeles, and this B/R writer thinks they should run it back with the Saints
Yahoo Sports - 3d
Could this be a clue to the Utah Hockey Club’s permanent name?

Recent filings in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office create intrigue as Utah's NHL team gets closer to revealing a permanent name and logo.
Yahoo Sports - 4d
Montour nets NHL's fastest OT goal at 4 seconds

Brandon Mountour's goal just four seconds into overtime set an NHL record for fastest OT goal, lifting the Kraken past the Canadiens 5-4.
ESPN - Mar. 13
Bayern Munich goalkeeper Grohs makes her first start since treatment for tumor

Goalkeeper Maria-Luisa “Mala” Grohs made the most of her first start for Bayern Munich since returning from treatment for a malignant tumor. The 23-year-old Grohs saved a penalty from Lyon’s ...
Yahoo Sports - 5d
Ovechkin scores his 888th career NHL goal as the Capitals beat the Flyers 3-2

Alex Ovechkin scored his 888th career goal to continue his pursuit of the NHL record, and the Washington Capitals moved to the verge of clinching a playoff berth by beating the Philadelphia Flyers ...
Yahoo Sports - 2d
How An Earlier Start And 84-Game Season Could Benefit The NHL

The NHL’s tightly-compressed schedule has been a bone of contention for quite some time. And on Saturday, a Sportsnet report posited that the league may be willing to start the regular-season at ...
Yahoo Sports - Mar. 16
Utah Hockey Club Makes Trade With Blackhawks Ahead of Matchup

Just ahead of tonights matchup against the Chicago Blackhawks, Utah HC has made a trade with the Chicago Blackhawks.
Yahoo Sports - Mar. 7
Brandon Valley defeats Mitchell, wins South Dakota boys basketball state championship

Briggs Knutson led Brandon Valley to the AA state title, scoring 17 points and making five 3-pointers.
Yahoo Sports - 21h
You Can Start Making Your New InZoi Family A Week Early

Even though inZoi , the new life sim from Krafton that aims to be the first real competitor to The Sims, won't officially release until March 27, you can get a head start on the creation aspect of ...
GameSpot - 4d
Antti Raanta Won’t Return To Geneva – Finland Next?

Antti Raanta’s first season back in Europe after ending his NHL career had its ups and downs.
Yahoo Sports - Mar. 10
White Sox lose INF Brandon Drury to left thumb injury

Chicago White Sox infielder Brandon Drury will miss the start of the season because of a fractured left thumb. The White Sox also announced Saturday that right-hander Drew Thorpe is going to have ...
Yahoo Sports - 1d
Can Missouri basketball make its own March Madness memories? The road starts here

Missouri basketball has 10 players making their first NCAA Tournament appearance. They all have memories of March. Now, can they make their own?
Yahoo Sports - 3d
Flyers end winless homestand with 4-3 shootout win over Lightning

Owen Tippett and Matvei Michkov scored in the shootout, Bobby Brink had two goals and the Philadelphia Flyers beat the Tampa Bay Lightning 4-3 on Thursday night. Michkov and Tampa Bay's Brayden ...
Yahoo Sports - Mar. 14
Mikko Rantanen receives mixture of cheers, boos in first game against Avalanche since trades

Once a fan favorite, Rantanen is now a fierce rival following his arrival with Central Division-foe Dallas. And for the first time in his NHL career, Rantanen was a visitor in a building he’s ...
Yahoo Sports - 6d
Steph Curry becomes first player in NBA history to make 4,000 career 3-pointers

Steph Curry continues to rewrite NBA history books.
Yahoo Sports - Mar. 14
NHL playoff watch: Ranking the top Stanley Cup contenders

Will the Lightning, Knights (8 p.m., ESPN+) meet again in the Final? Plus, full playoff projections and more.
ESPN - 3h
Brandon Vázquez, Jon Gallagher help Austin deal expansion-side San Diego first loss with 2-1 victory

Brandon Vázquez and defender Jon Gallagher scored early goals, and Brad Stuver made them stand up as Austin FC handed expansion-side San Diego FC its first loss with a 2-1 victory at Q2 Stadium on ...
Yahoo Sports - 2h
Three NHL Clubs That Made The Best Of A Seller’s Market

The NHL trade deadline saw contenders mortgage their future by trading future first-round picks and top prospects to add players to help in their pursuit of a Stanley Cup.
Yahoo Sports - Mar. 10
NCAA Tournament's First Four tips off; Dodgers start season with win; Joe Burrow gets Bengals to spend big

Could North Carolina or San Diego State be the next First Four team to make a run?
CBS Sports - 5d
2025 NCAA Tournament: Which First Four team has the best chance to make a deep March Madness run?

Since the First Four started in 2011, 13 of its teams have won multiple NCAA Tournament games
CBS Sports - 6d
Brandon Tanev Returns To Seattle As Jets End Kraken Winning Streak 3-2 in Overtime.

Seattle, WA - Brandon Tanev returned to Climate Pledge Arena for the first time since being traded to the Jets earlier this month on Sunday night.
Yahoo Sports - 6d
Clay Holmes will start Mets' opener as he makes transition from relief role

New York Mets right-hander Clay Holmes will take the mound on opening day for his first start since 2018. Holmes has worked 9 2/3 shutout innings over three Grapefruit League starts as he moves ...
Yahoo Sports - Mar. 14
Who's in 2025 NHL playoffs? Tracking standings, playoff bracket, tiebreakers

The NHL regular season will end in less than a month. One team on Thursday can become the first to clinch a playoff berth.
Yahoo Sports - 3d
Josh Berry gets first career Cup Series win at Vegas

Josh Berry raced to the first Cup Series victory of his career, taking NASCAR's oldest team to victory lane Sunday at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
ESPN - 6d