Lightning's Dominic James set to debut after broken hand

Dominic James is set for his first NHL appearance of the season when the Tampa Bay Lightning host the Seattle Kraken on Thursday, Oct. 15. The club says he will return from a broken hand for the 7 p.m. ET game at Benchmark International Arena.

James broke a bone in his palm when his stick caught the boards during his first skate after returning to Tampa this fall. He spent his recovery rebuilding strength and conditioning, attending special teams meetings and reviewing penalty-killing video with assistant coach Dan Hinote.

Two games with the Syracuse Crunch gave him a chance to resume playing before Tampa Bay recalled him on Wednesday, Oct. 14. The Hockey News reported that the AHL stint followed his return to full participation in practice.

Coach Jon Cooper said James makes the Lightning quicker and can put opponents under pressure with his skating. James recorded seven goals and eight assists in 43 regular-season games as a rookie in 2025-26, then added two goals and an assist in seven playoff games.