One day after the Lightning recalled Dominic James from the Syracuse Crunch, head coach Jon Cooper told reporters Thursday that the forward will make his NHL debut against the Chicago Blackhawks.
James, 23, signed a two-year, entry-level contract with the Lightning on September 20, 2025, and made his AHL debut with the Syracuse Crunch on October 11. After impressing in training camp, James continued to make his case, posting points in each of the Crunch’s first four games this season.
"Competitive kid. He brings a lot of life. He can skate. He can skate at this pace,” said Cooper. “He made an impression in training camp. Remember the last game when we were short some players and he had to play D for half of the game .. Then he went down to the American League and excelled, so deserving to come up."
James was originally selected by the Chicago Blackhawks in the sixth round (173rd overall) of the 2022 NHL Draft.