On Monday the Lightning announced the hiring of Jeff Tambellini as the new Assistant General Manager and Director of Hockey Operations. The move effectively fills the vacancy left by Mathieu Darche, who was named General Manager of the New York Islanders in May.

Tambellini comes from the Seattle Kraken where he served as Director of Player Development. In his new role, he will work closely with General Manager Julien BriseBois in all aspects of player personnel decisions, analytics, player development, contract preparation and negotiation, budgeting, scheduling and salary cap tracking. He will also help lead the hockey operations staff.

“Jeff has strong leadership and communication skills,” said BriseBois. “He is organized and thoughtful in all he undertakes. Jeff has a rich playing experience from his time at Michigan, in the NHL, the AHL and the professional ranks in both Switzerland and Sweden.”

“In his new role, Jeff will be assisting me in all aspects of the Lightning’s hockey operations. I am excited to be bringing him back to the Lightning organization and having him join our management staff.”

In addition to his roles in Tampa Bay, Tambellini will also serve as the Assistant General Manager of the Syracuse Crunch, serving alongside Head Coach and newly named General Manager, Joel Bouchard.

The decision to hire Tambellini as Assistant General Manager and Director of Hockey Operations marks a full-circle moment. This will be his third stint with the organization, beginning with his signing as a player for the 2015–16 season, where he skated in 65 games for Syracuse, notching 29 goals and 49 points.

That year, he also shared the ice with current Lightning players, Anthony Cirelli, Yanni Gourde and Andrei Vasilevskiy. He returned to the organization in 2020-21 as a NCAA and pro scout, working closely with several current Lightning staff members.

“I couldn’t be more excited to return to the Lightning organization,” said Tambellini. “It’s where I played, got my first NHL job, and earned my first Stanley Cup ring. I’m thrilled to once again work with such a great group of hockey professionals in Tampa Bay. I want to thank Julien for the opportunity to take this next step in my career, and I can’t wait to get to Tampa and get started.”

“I would also like to personally thank Ron Francis, Jason Botterill, and the entire Seattle Kraken organization for an incredible three years and for believing in me. I’m deeply grateful for the opportunity they gave me and for allowing me to pursue this exciting new role."

Photo Credit: Scott L. Thomas for the Syracuse Crunch