The Tampa Bay Lightning are in the middle of their preseason and are only getting closer to the start of the 2025-26 regular season. At the time of this writing, the Lightning are now 13 days away from their season opener against the Ottawa Senators on Oct. 9.
Now that the Lightning are just 13 days away from playing their first game of the regular season, let's take a look at all six players who have wore number (No.) 13 for the Lightning in their franchise history.
Martin Simard, RW (1992-93)
After spending the first two seasons of his NHL career with the Calgary Flames, forward Martin Simard wore No. 13 with the Lightning during the 1992-93 campaign. In seven games with the Lightning during that season, the 6-foot-1 forward recorded zero points, 11 penalty minutes, and a minus-1 rating.
This would end up being the final NHL season of Simard's career. While this was the case, he then put together a long career in the IHL and AHL, as he played in those leagues from 1993-94 to 1997-98.
Pavel Kubina, D (1998-99 to 2005-06, 2010-11 to 2011-12)
After wearing No. 3 for the Lightning during his rookie season with the club in 1997-98, defenseman Pavel Kubina switched to No. 13. From there, he sported No. 13 throughout the rest of his two stints as a member of the Lightning.
Kubina undoubtedly had success while playing for the Lightning, as he was one of their most important defensemen. In 662 games over two stints and 10 seasons with the Lightning, the 6-foot-4 defenseman recorded 72 goals, 171 assists, and 243 points. He was also an All-Star during the 2003-04 season and helped the Lightning win the Stanley Cup that season as well.
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Alex Tanguay, LW (2009-10)
Alex Tanguay wore No. 13 for the Lightning during his lone season with the team in 2009-10. The 6-foot-1 winger appeared in 80 games with the Lightning during that season, where he recorded 10 goals, 27 assists, 37 points, and a minus-1 rating.
Following his one season with the Lightning, Tanguay joined the Flames for the 2010-11 and stayed there until 2012-13. The former Bolt had himself a strong NHL career, as he recorded 283 goals, 580 assists, 863 points, and a plus-163 rating. He also won the Stanley Cup with the Colorado Avalanche in 2001.
Cedric Paquette, C (2014-15 to 2019-20)
The next player to wear No. 13 for the Lightning was forward Cedric Paquette. The 2012 fourth-round pick sported the number with the Lightning from 2014-15 to 2019-20. In 377 games over seven seasons with the Lightning, the gritty forward recorded 47 goals, 38 assists, 85 points, 345 penalty minutes, and 956 hits. He also won the Stanley Cup with the Lightning in 2020.
Following the 2019-20 season, Paquette joined the Ottawa Senators and then had stints with the Carolina Hurricanes and Montreal Canadiens. His last season in the NHL was during the 2021-22 campaign, but he has spent each of the last four seasons in the KHL. In seven games so far this season with Dynamo Moscow, he has recorded two goals and eight penalty minutes.
Boris Katchouk, LW (2021-22)
Boris Katchouk sported No. 13 with the Lightning during the 2021-22 season. In 59 games with the Bolts that season, the 6-foot-2 winger recorded three goals, four assists, seven points, 138 hits, and a minus-7 rating. He was traded to the Chicago Blackhawks later that season in the blockbuster deal that sent Brandon Hagel to Tampa Bay.
Now, Katchouk is back with the Lightning after signing with the club during the off-season. However, he is now wearing No. 61 with the Lightning. Katchouk is expected to be a depth forward for the Lightning this season and could be an important part of the Syracuse Crunch's roster.
Cam Atkinson, RW (2024-25)
The most recent player to wear No. 13 for the Lightning was forward Cam Atkinson during this past season. In 39 games with the Lightning during the 2024-25 season, the 5-foot-8 winger recorded four goals, five assists, nine points, and a minus-4 rating. After this, the Lightning decided not to re-sign him, and he became an unrestricted free agent (UFA) on July 1 because of it.
With the regular season rapidly approaching, Atkinson is still a UFA. In 809 career NHL games split between the Columbus Blue Jackets, Philadelphia Flyers, and Lightning, he has recorded 253 goals, 236 assists, 489 points, and a minus-11 rating. Teams looking for depth offensive production and more experience could consider taking a shot on him.