Two Jr. Lightning players earn USA Hockey national camp invites

Two 15-year-old players from the Tampa Bay Jr. Lightning youth program are attending USA Hockey's 2026 National Player Development Camps this month. Defenseman Zachary LaBella is at the National 15 Camp in Amherst, New York, which began Wednesday, while forward Jordyn Kimmel is headed to the Girls National 15 Camp in Oxford, Ohio, starting Sunday.

Both players advanced from USA Hockey's state-level camp in Florida and then stood out at the regional camp featuring players from across the Southeast. They will train and compete alongside the top players in the country in their age group.

"With having boys' teams and girls' teams and having one representative on both sides to represent the Lightning and the Jr. Lightning at the national stage, it's huge," Lightning director of hockey development Josh Dreith told TampaBayLightning.com.

The Jr. Lightning program launched in February 2026 and held tryouts in April. It features a Tier 1 boys program and a Tier 2 girls program, with training sessions three times per week and national tournament opportunities. The competitive season begins next month for both LaBella and Kimmel, with nearly 50 games of weekend tournaments scheduled through March.

Selection to this week's camps could earn future invitations to represent Team USA at international tournaments, including the Hlinka Gretzky Cup and the U17 Four/Five Nations Tournament. LaBella's team holds Tier 1 National status, while Kimmel's team competes at Tier 2.

The Jr. Lightning program is operated by the Lightning's community and hockey development team and includes Bolts alumni as coaches. On-ice training takes place primarily at AdventHealth Center Ice, with additional sessions at Power-Pole Arena.