Hurricane Milton: NHL postpones Carolina Hurricanes at Tampa Bay Lightning game

After Hurricane Milton wreaked havoc across central Florida on Wednesday evening into Thursday morning, professional sports teams took a moment to assess the damage and re-evaluate things going forward.

The NHL took a look at the impacts to the area and decided to postpone a planned hockey game between the Carolina Hurricanes and the Tampa Bay Lightning.

The game was set to be played on Saturday at Amalie Arena in Tampa.

“NHL Game No. 29 on Saturday, Oct. 12 between the Tampa Bay Lightning and Carolina Hurricanes at Amalie Arena has been postponed amid recovery efforts in the Tampa Bay area from the impact of Hurricane Milton,” an NHL statement read. “A makeup date will be announced as soon as it can be confirmed.”

Tampa Bay’s season opener is set to take place on Friday at Carolina. The game is scheduled for a 7 p.m. ET puck drop.

Hurricane Milton impacts Trop, Raymond James Stadium

In the aftermath of Hurricane Milton, crews are still surveying various parts of the state of Florida to get a feel for the overall level of damage. Raymond James Stadium in Tampa was among the major sites that was of interest on Thursday morning.

According to a report from the NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, site surveys are still being conducted but the stadium itself and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers training facility “seem to have sustained only cosmetic damage.”

That’s encouraging news after other facilities were hit much, much harder.

Tropicana Field, for example, suffered devastating roof damage from Hurricane Milton. The fabric covering was shredded, exposing the field below to the elements.

Officials had hoped to use the Trop as a staging ground for linemen and first responders, with beds set up across the field.