The Tampa Bay Lightning are now 23 days away from their 2025-26 season opener against the Ottawa Senators. Due to this, let's take a look at all of the players who have worn number 23 for the Lightning in their franchise history.
Mike Hartman, LW (1992-93)
The first player to wear No. 23 for the Lightning in their franchise history was forward Mike Hartman. He did so during the 1992-93 season, where he posted four goals, eight points, and 154 penalty minutes in 58 games. He finished that season as a member of the New York Rangers.
Chris Joseph, D (1993-94)
Chris Joseph was the next Lightning player to sport No. 23, as he did during the 1993-94 season. In 66 games with the Lightning that season, the 6-foot-3 defenseman recorded 10 goals, 29 points, and 108 penalty minutes.
Rich Sutter, RW (1994-95)
Rich Sutter sported No. 23 while with the Lightning during the 1994-95 season. In four games with the Bolts that season, he recorded zero points and three shots. However, he finished that season as a member of the Toronto Maple Leafs.
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Ben Hankinson, RW (1994-95)
Ben Hankinson also wore No. 23 for the Lightning during the 1994-95 season after starting the year with the New Jersey Devils. In 18 games with the Bolts that season, he recorded two assists, six penalty minutes, and a plus-1 rating.
Brian Bellows, LW (1995-96)
Brian Bellow was the next player to wear No. 23 for the Bolts, as he did during the 1995-96 and 1996-97 seasons. In 86 games over two seasons with the Lightning, the three-time All-Star recorded 24 goals and 52 points.
Bryan Marchment, D (1997-98)
Bryan Marchment wore No. 23 for the Lightning during the 1997-98 season. In 22 games with the Bolts that campaign, he posted two goals, six points, and 43 penalty minutes.
Marchment passed away on July 6, 2022 at the age of 53 years old.
Michal Sykora, D (1998-99)
Michal Sykora wore No. 23 with the Lightning while with the club during the 1998-99 season. In 10 games with the Bolts that campaign, he recorded one goal, three points, and a minus-7 rating.
Petr Svoboda, D (1998-99 to 2000-01)
Petr Svoboda was the next Lightning player to sport No. 23, as he did during the 1999-00 and 2000-01 seasons. In 89 games with the Lightning over that span, he recorded four goals, 46 points, and 264 penalty minutes.
Janne Laukkanen, D (2002-03)
The next player to sport No. 23 for the Lightning was defenseman Janne Laukkanen. However, he did not do so for very long, as he played in just two games for the Lightning that season. During them, he scored one goal and sported a plus-1 rating. This would be the last time he played at the NHL level.
Jamie Heward, D (2008-09)
Jamie Heward wore No. 23 for the Lightning during the 2008-09 season. In 13 games with the Bolts that campaign, he recorded two assists, 15 blocks, and a minus-1 rating. This would be his final season at the NHL level.
Mike Commodore, D (2011-12)
After being acquired by the Lightning from the Detroit Red Wings during the 2011-12 season, Mike Commodore sported No. 23 for the Bolts. In 13 games with the Lightning following the move, he recorded zero points, 13 blocks, 21 hits, and a plus-4 rating. This would be the 6-foot-4's last season in the NHL.
J.T. Brown, RW (2013-14 to 2017-18)
J.T. Brown was the next player to wear No. 23 for the Lightning, as he did from 2013-14 to 2017-18. This was after he wore No. 49 for the Lightning during the 2011-12 season. In 286 games over six seasons with the Lightning, Brown recorded 19 goals, 42 assists, 61 points, and 363 hits.
Carter Verhaeghe, C (2019-20)
Carter Verhaeghe wore No. 23 for the Lightning during his lone season on their NHL roster in 2019-20. In 52 games with the Lightning that campaign, he recorded nine goals and 13 points. He also played in eight playoff games for the Lightning during their 2020 Stanley Cup championship run, where he posted two assists.
After the Lightning did not tender Verhaeghe a qualifying offer during the 2020 NHL off-season, he signed with the Florida Panthers. Since then, he has blossomed into a legitimate top-six forward for the Panthers and helped play a role in their back-to-back Stanley Cup championships in 2024 and 2025.
Mikey Eyssimont, C/RW (2022-23 to 2024-25)
Mikey Eyssimont wore No. 23 for the Lightning during his three-year stint with the team. In 153 games as a member of the Lightning, he recorded 17 goals, 20 assists, 37 points, 170 penalty minutes, and 251 hits. His time with the Lightning ended this past season when he was traded to the Seattle Kraken in the deal that landed the Bolts both Oliver Bjorkstrand and Yanni Gourde.