At 6-foot-9, Curtis Douglas is impossible to miss on the ice. The 25-year-old forward was claimed off waivers by the Lightning from the Utah Mammoth on Oct. 6, just two days after a preseason clash with the Florida Panthers.
Before arriving in Tampa, Douglas had never appeared in an NHL game, and at times, he wondered if he ever would. On the day the Lightning claimed him off waivers, he was en route from Utah to Tucson following the Mammoth’s final round of roster cuts.
From the moment he walked through the doors at the Lightning’s practice facility in Brandon, Douglas made it clear he’d do whatever it took to stick around, even joking that he’d “army crawl across the ice” if that’s what the Lightning asked of him. One box the Lightning left open this offseason was adding a true enforcer-type presence. So far, Douglas has been filling that role when needed and he’s intent on being a contributor in other ways.
“The first few games, I was really just trying to do whatever I could to stay in the lineup,” said Douglas. “Now I feel like I'm still doing that, but I’m a little bit more adjusted and comfortable out there.”
Douglas has quickly formed a connection with fellow rookie Jack Finley. The two are just two years apart and close in height, with Finley listed at 6-foot-6. When they’re on the ice together, they slot in as linemates on the Lightning’s fourth line, adding a physical, hard-to-play-against presence.
“It’s always tough coming to a new team and a new group of guys, especially in the role that we play,” said Douglas. “We’ve got to be integrated into the team. I feel like every day we're getting better, and are getting more impactful. I think we have an understanding of what we need to do, and we just go out there and do it.”
Douglas has also settled into the locker room, and the character of his new teammates is something that stood out to him right away.
“It’s a great group of guys in this room, and I think a really special group,” he said. “There’s no bad guys in this locker room, which is awesome.”
On the ice, Douglas knows exactly what his role is, and he wants opposing teams to feel it. That’s part of why he enjoyed the challenge of his first in-state rivalry game against the Florida Panthers on November 15.
“O yeah, it was great,” Douglas said. “That’s kind of where our game thrives as the fourth line. It’s in those gritty games — that’s where we’ve got to come up big for the team and I think it was a good test for us.”
Veteran forward Nick Paul connected with Douglas while recovering from preseason wrist surgery. On days Douglas wasn’t in the lineup and Paul was returning to practice, the two had plenty of time to chat.
“He kind of took me under his wing a little bit, and he’s been awesome to ask for advice and things like that, in trying to make my way and earn a spot here in the NHL,” Douglas said of Paul. “He’s a fantastic guy, and I think it’s a testament to his character. How much the guys love him here… I think I saw him as much as everyone else, and he wasn’t even in the lineup. It’s awesome to have guys like that around the room, and he’s a great player, too.”
Paul needed an activity to keep his mind occupied while his teammates were on the road, so he decided to try his hand at making music with a local songwriter in Tampa, who’s also a friend. Now he’s working on a pregame hype song dedicated to Lightning fans.
“I think it's great, honestly,” Douglas said with a laugh. “He’s catching some slack, but I actually think it’s good.”
Douglas has a love for music and even plays a little guitar himself. When his interview on the Lightning’s Block Party went viral, thanks to his explanation that he picked No. 42 as a nod to rapper 42 Dugg, he didn’t think much of it at first. That changed when the rapper chimed in showing his support, calling Douglas “Rookie of the Year.” One of Douglas’ friends reached out to fill him in.
“He posted a story about it. I responded, and we chatted a little bit,” Douglas said of the rapper. “Hopefully I can get him a jersey — that’d be pretty cool.”