Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Lightning Scratch Brayden Point for Team Policy Violation

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Antonio Losada | Last updated Jan 15, 2025 9:30 AM ET

The Tampa Bay Lightning made a bold statement on Tuesday, scratching star forward Brayden Point for their game against the Boston Bruins due to a team policy violation.

According to Gabby Shirley of FanDuel Sports Network, Point missed a team meeting, prompting head coach Jon Cooper to bench the two-time Stanley Cup champion.

Point, who leads the Lightning with 25 goals and ranks third in total points with 47 in 37 games, is an integral part of Tampa Bay’s lineup but he crossed Cooper's line on this occasion.

The Lightning surely missed Point's production on Tuesday as they dropped their matchup against Boston by a final score of 6-2 in a game that they never led as the Bruins took an early 2-0 lead.

While a bit shocking by the nature of it, the truth is that the Lightning have built one of the most successful cultures in hockey under the guidance of coach Cooper.

The Lightning went to the Stanley Cup Final for the first time in the past decade when they reached it at the end of the 2014-15 season. After a few years without getting there, Tampa Bay hoisted the chalice on back-to-back seasons in 2020 and 2021, and they lost the 2022 edition in their last trip there.

Cooper on Point near the net: “Some guys are gifted. He just has a gift when he’s in there. He doesn’t shoot it the hardest, he just knows where to put it, and especially in situations where it’s instinctive, he’s got to think quick, he just knows what he’s doing there. So it’s…
— Benjamin Pierce (@BenjaminJReport) January 8, 2025

Cooper spoke highly of Point last week when the forward reached the 600-point milestone as a member of the Lightning, the only franchise he's ever played for since joining Tampa Bay in the 2014 draft as the No. 79 overall pick.

“Some guys are gifted," Cooper said. "He just has a gift when he’s in there. He doesn’t shoot it the hardest, he just knows where to put it, and especially in situations where it’s instinctive, he’s got to think quick, he just knows what he’s doing there.

”So it’s really good that he’s on our side”

Tampa Bay currently sits third in the Atlantic Division with a 23-16-3 record, tied with the Bruins at 49 points apiece but with four games in hand.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: